Trio held after Parika cocaine bust get bail
Bail was yesterday granted to the three men who the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) says it intercepted during a drug deal at Parika after trading almost five pounds of cocaine.
Those charged are Deopaul Goordeen, a fisherman, of 1145 New Housing Scheme, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo; Mohamed Inshan, 47, an electrician of 49 Back Street North, Old Scheme, Zeelugt East; and Amit Kumar, 41, a machine operator, of 275 Jai Dam, Tuschen.
They first appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, who read a charge which stated that on July 23rd, at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, they trafficked 2.264 kilogrammes (equivalent to 4.991 pounds) of cocaine.
Subsequent to the reading of the charge, they had been remanded to prison.
However, Goordeen, Inshan and Kumar, received a lucky break yesterday when they appeared before Magistrate Zamilla Ally at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
The three defendants were each granted $500,000 bail, after a bail application was made by their attorney, Siand Dhurjon.
They are set to return to court on November 15th, when their trial is expected to commence.
It is CANU’s case that on the day in question, ranks conducted surveillance exercises along the Parika Public Road. It was during this exercise that Goordeen was allegedly observed handing over a bulky black bag to Inshan, who then handed the bag to Kumar, who placed it in the backseat of a parked car. The defendants then left the location in two vehicles, which were later intercepted by CANU ranks. In the vehicle driven by Inshan, a black bag was found in a lunch bag, containing two brick-shaped objects, which tested positive for cocaine.