The charges come a week after the men were busted during an operation by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) at Parika. Appearing in the Leonora Magistrates’ court before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool were Khemraj Lall, 39, of Zeelugt EBE; Marlon Lawrence, 36 of Felicity, East Coast Demerara (ECD); Rajendra Persaud, 47 of Liliendaal, ECD; Doodnauth Chattgroon, 36 of Zeelugt and Cleve Thornhill. The five were jointly charged with trafficking 35 Kilograms of cannabis and 13.8 Kilograms of cocaine worth more than $24 million on June 6, 2018, at Parika.
The drugs were found concealed in two blue plastic gas bottles and were intercepted in the trunk of a motor vehicle at Parika Public Road, according to a release from the drug agency.
In the court today all the men except Thornhill denied the charge. Thornhill pleaded guilty to the charge and told the court that he was hired to transport the gas bottles from Charity to Parika in his boat. Upon reaching Parika, the drugs were to be handed over to the occupant of a waiting vehicle at the Parika wharf. The man said he had no knowledge of what was inside the drums.
Attorney Bernard DaSilva representing Lall and Chattgroon told the court that his clients were found seated in a motor car a short distance away from where the drugs were found.
CANU’s Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford told the court that CANU ranks on June 6, 2018, at Parika, East Bank Essequibo intercepted the five men with the cocaine and cannabis stashed in false bottoms of two 15 gallon gasoline bottles. This was after CANU got a tip-off regarding the shipment of drugs arriving at Parika from Charity in a speedboat.
Sandiford added that CANU officers then went to the Parika location where they intercepted motor vehicles PSS 8019 and PVV 7934. In the motor car, PSS 8019 were Lawrence and Persaud while Thornhill and the other co-accused were in the second vehicle bearing license plate number PVV 7934.
It was during the search the drug was found and the men arrested. Sandiford objected to the men being released on bail noting the seriousness of the charge.
Magistrate Liverpool remanded all five of the men to prison until July 3. The magistrate told Thornhill to seek legal advice and report back on next court date.