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More ganja destroyed in Berbice

Jun 02, 2010 News

GAETROY, BERBICE RIVER – A 23-year-old man from Mara, East Bank Berbice was detained and ganja fields and camps destroyed as Division ‘B’ of the Police Force continued its anti-narcotics fight yesterday, with a drug eradication exercise on the Berbice River, this time at Gaetroy.
Word out of Berbice is that teams burnt four fields about eight acres in size which had some 15,000 plants suspected to be cannabis sativa between two and six feet tall.
During the exercise, five nurseries with about 35,000 seedlings, 500 pounds of dried compressed ganja and the two living quarters were also destroyed, and a brush cutter, a chain saw and tarpaulin were seized.
According to a police source, late yesterday afternoon as the ranks were about to moor in New Amsterdam, information was received about a vessel moored at Rosignol. The river patrol moved in and the boat and a Marino engine were seized.
Up to press time, no one had gone forward to claim the vessel but it is suspected to be one used to transport the illicit drugs.
The official made a direct link between last week’s drug-bust, for which one man is now before the court, and yesterday’s exercise. About 09:15 hours last Thursday police in Division ‘B’ acting on information received, intercepted a car (PFF 9723) at Plantation Profit, which was said to be proceeding west in the direction of Georgetown.
A search of the automobile, unearthed 45 packets of what was said to be compressed cannabis sativa with a weight of 113 kilograms 636 grammes. The booty was stashed away in five large stripe plastic bags and carries a street value of millions in local currency.
The lone occupant was the driver 30-year old Ramal Madray of Benneth Dam, Rosignol.  He was detained, interrogated and reportedly told detectives that he was asked by a popular resident of Rosignol Village to transport the booty to Georgetown and when he arrived there he would be contacted via telephone and told the drop-off point.
The investigation further revealed that the owner of the illicit drugs was also making the trip but in another vehicle some distance away. They are also on the lookout for this known kingpin.
Last Friday, Ramal Madray was placed before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo at the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court to answer a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison until the matter comes up on June 10th at the Weldaad Magistrate’s Court.
According to a senior police official, there was evidence yesterday to show that other cannabis sativa plants were recently harvested in the same Gaetroy location. The suspect who was arrested yesterday is expected to be placed before the court.
The source also said that based on reports received, the drug planters on the Berbice River are said to be stealing ganja plants from other dealers who reside outside of the area.
Yesterday’s exercise signals the beginning of phase two of the police’s anti-narcotics strategy to rid Berbice of illicit-drugs. In March, a quantity of boats, engines and other paraphernalia suspected to be used in the drug trade were seized from areas along the Berbice River and a quantity of the illegal drug was destroyed after fields in areas such as De Velde, Sand Hill, Haffett, Gaetroy and Tabatali, all between 55 and 80 miles up the Berbice River, were burnt.

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