A 50-year-old US-based Guyanese was intercepted with a large quantity of compressed marijuana moments after he landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on a flight from the United States (US).
According to a statement from the Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the man – Joel Cadogan, a resident of New York – was intercepted with the suspected marijuana by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Custom Officials at the CJIA on Monday, April 12, 2021. At the time, Cadogan was in the Arrival Lounge of the airport at the section dedicated for Customs. CANU said the contaminated suitcase contained 4 parcels of compressed suspected Cannabis weighing 2.036 kilograms.
In detailing the particulars, CANU said the dual citizen arrived in Guyana with 3 large suitcases, and 2 hand pieces. He reportedly cleared immigration, and was subjected to a random search by a GRA Custom Official when 4 compressed plastic parcels of suspected cannabis wrapped in jeans were uncovered in his luggage.
The man was detained and handed over to CANU Officials at CJIA where he was arrested and escorted to CANU HQ Georgetown.
“When the remainder of his luggage were searched several pairs of sneakers were found to have been stuffed with numerous small empty Ziploc bags, and a table-top scale,” CANU disclosed, while adding that the investigation will continue.
The suspect is expected to appear in Court on Wednesday April 14, 2021. “There appears to be a developing trend of nefarious individuals trafficking presumably novel grades of marijuana into Guyana from the developed world, reversing the traditional trafficking transhipment flow,” CANU said.
