One man was jailed, and another remanded after they were caught with a quantity of cannabis earlier in January.
Daniel Quintyn, 22, a construction worker from Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, and Jamera Wills, 31, a miner from Savannah Park, New Amsterdam, appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court.
The Court heard that on Saturday, January 3, Quintyn and Wills were found with 3.70 kilograms of cannabis on Naarstigheid Public Road, West Coast Berbice for the purpose of trafficking.
Wills pleaded not guilty, while Quintyn admitted guilt to the charges. Both men were unrepresented.
Prosecutor Sergeant Garfield Edwards argued against granting Wills bail, citing his awareness of the narcotics he was transporting. Edwards emphasised the severity of the offense and expressed concerns that Wills might not return for trial if released on bail.
Magistrate Matthias declined bail, citing the seriousness of the case, and Wills was remanded to prison.
At the sentencing for Quintyn, Prosecutor Edwards detailed that on January 3, around 15:45 hours, police on patrol along Naarstigheid Public Road observed Quintyn and Wills on a motorcycle without helmets, acting suspiciously.
Edwards said the Police stopped and searched them, discovering nine large parcels containing suspected cannabis leaves, seeds, and stems.
The suspects were informed of the allegations, cautioned, arrested, and taken to Fort Wellington Police Station. The suspected cannabis weighed 3.70 kilograms and was sealed and retained at the station.
Quintyn claimed the cannabis was not his and that he was transporting it for someone else. He explained that ranks stopped him during the delivery, which was part of a job he took due to recent financial debt resulting from a car accident in which he and a female were injured.
After listening to Quintyn, Magistrate Matthias sentenced him to 36 months in prison, a portion of the maximum five-year penalty for such an offense.
The Magistrate advised Quintyn to seek lawful means of earning income after serving his sentence.
Wills is scheduled to appear again on January 29th at Fort Wellington Magistrates Court for further legal proceedings.
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