Police in Berbice carried out a successful drug eradication exercise between 04:00 hrs and 15:00 hrs yesterday (Friday) in Fort Nassau Savannah, Upper Berbice River.
The exercise was led by an ASP and included an inspector, two corporals, and five constables.
During the eradication exercise a search was conducted on a two-storey wooden building owned by Rasleigh Potter called ‘Blackie’, a 38-year-old farmer of Fort Nassau Savannah, Upper Berbice River.
In the presence of Rasleigh Potter and Atley Hinds, a 19-year-old farmer of Gateroy Village, Berbice River, a search was conducted under a shed which is attached to said building and three live twenty-gauge cartridges were found along with seven twenty-guage spent shells.
They were told of the offence committed, cautioned and arrested.
In the presence of Rasleigh Potter and Atley Hinds, a further search was conducted in the building, where three bulky parcels were found, all containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.
Rasleigh Potter Ragan took ownership for one of the parcel, while Atley Hinds took ownership for the other two.
About thirty meters away from the building, a number of cannabis plants were seen measuring about six inches to three feet in height. The 38-year-old farmer claimed ownership of the suspected cannabis plants, stating that he cultivated the plants for smoking purposes. All the plants were uprooted and destroyed (except for Specimens kept to be taken for court).
The ranks then went to a nearby make-shift camp where they found about 450 pounds of dry cannabis valued at $183,704,940.
The ranks also found another make-shift camp on a plot of land with about 137 suspected cannabis plants measuring about six inches to three feet in height along with a chainsaw and a water pump and a quantity of cannabis seeds.
The suspected cannabis plants were uprooted and destroyed, whilst the makeshift camps, the dry cannabis along with the chainsaw and other items were destroyed by fire.
The suspected cannabis seized and destroyed by police during the eradication exercise yesterday amounted to 6,066 grams.
Rasleigh Potter and Atley Hinds were escorted to Central Police Station where they were placed into custody pending charges. (Police Release)
