Two Brazilians were yesterday remanded to prison after being charged with possession of narcotics and for allowing passengers to leave their vessel without the consent of an immigration officer.
The two men, 53-year-old Pablo Petter, and a Brazilian boat captain, Augusto Altreiter, 33, made their appearance before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday where the charges were read to them. They both pleaded not guilty each charge.
The charges allege that on December 9 at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard wharf at Ruimveldt, Georgetown, they had in their possession 68 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
It was also stated that the men also had 4 grams of ecstasy also for the purpose of trafficking.
Altreiter, as the boat captain, was separately charged for allowing three other Brazilian nationals to leave the vessel on December 8 at the GDF wharf at Ruimveldt without the consent of an immigration officer.
After denying the charges the men were remanded to prison and the matter will be called again on December 19 where disclosures are expected to be made.
According to the facts presented to the court by Police Prosecutor, Mandell Moore, the vessel which the duo was operating and which was heading to Georgetown, Guyana, had started to experience mechanical issues which resulted in the boat being moored at the GDF wharf.
However, upon docking the boat, the two accused allowed the three other passengers to leave the vessel via a rescue boat which was attached on the vessel.
The following day on December 9, ranks from the Guyana Police Force searched the vessel where the aforementioned narcotics were found in a small purse in the wheel house.
The two were then cautioned, arrested and told of the narcotics found in the boat.
