A 47-year-old businessman of Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD) was on Tuesday charged with the offence of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
The man, Rayan ‘Decky’ Joseph appeared in the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Crystal Lambert and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was remanded to prison until January 25, 2021.
Early December, Joseph was found with 4,236 grams of cannabis at his home stashed in a plastic barrel and a buried container.
According to police report, on December 3, 2020 at 05:30h, acting on information received, police went to the home of the businessman where a search was carried out on his premises in the presence of him and his wife.
During the search of the lower flat of the building, the businessman opened a blue plastic barrel. The police searched the said barrel and discovered one black garbage bag containing three bulky transparent plastic parcels containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.
He was then told of the offence committed and under caution he replied saying: “Is me weed don’t involve me family.”
A further search was then carried out at the back of his yard where, under a golden apple tree, a white container with dirt which had a suspected cannabis sativa plant which had about two and a half feet in height. The businessman was shown the said plant and told of the offence and he admitted saying again: “Is me plant, don’t involve me family.”
The businessman and his wife were arrested and escorted to the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station along with the suspected narcotics and plant where, in their presence, the suspected cannabis was weighed and it amounted to 4,236 grams. The suspects were placed into custody pending further investigation.
