Berbice cops to be charged over ganja
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday advised that drug charges be laid against the two police constables who were held in Berbice on Monday afternoon following the discovery of five kilogrammes of marijuana.
This is according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who told Stabroek News that the case file was prepared and sent to the DPP’s Chambers which has since advised that the two constables be charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. They are both expected to appear in court today.
The two police constables: Bharat Shatterpaul of Skeldon, Berbice and Delroy Fraser of Bushlot Village, West Coast Berbice were placed under close arrest on Monday afternoon following the discovery of the marijuana in the trunk of a car belonging to Shatterpaul.
The two police constables are both stationed at the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam, Berbice.
A police source had confirmed with this newspaper that marijuana was found in the trunk of Shatterpaul’s motorcar, HC 3179, which was parked opposite the Central Police Station.
The source had related that the constables were returning from Georgetown in a police bus, and during their journey, Shatterpaul who was driving the vehicle stopped and had a conversation with a man, who at the time had a package on him, and subsequently, offered the man a “drop”.
The source had stated that the man exited the vehicle somewhere in West Berbice, however, the package was left in the police bus. When the constables returned to New Amsterdam, Shatterpaul, who was driving the police bus at the time, instructed the other constable to drive his car to Vryman’s Erven in New Amster-dam, where the parcels were allegedly placed in the trunk of the car.
The two constables returned to the Central Police Station with the vehicles. However, upon receipt of information, the Division’s Crime Chief and other ranks were instructed to conduct a search of the constable’s car in their presence. At the time, the two constables said that they didn’t know where the keys for the car were, which resulted in a window being broken to gain entry to the car.
The search was carried out and two heavily wrapped parcels containing the marijuana were discovered in the trunk of the car. They both denied having knowledge of the marijuana, which was weighed in their presence and amounted to five kilogrammes. They were immediately placed under arrest and were held at the Central Police Station, New Amsterdam.