A YOUNG man was on Friday afternoon caught by ranks of the City Constabulary during a sting operation at the Stabroek Market area, after he was suspected to be in possession of illegal items.The man had in his possession 20 small Ziplock bags of cannabis and several packets of ‘ecstasy’ (a psychotropic substance) in a larger bag he was carrying at his side.

Assistant Superintendent of the City Constabulary, Gordon Langevine, told Guyana Chronicle that City Police were on an exercise when the narcotics were found at the Stabroek Market, two gates from the main entrance. The man, now in custody of the City Constabulary, had attempted to flee when he observed the officers approaching him, but was apprehended by a constable.
According to Langevine, “the elements” use the market to sell and smoke illegal substances. He said, too, that relatives and friends of stall-holders within the market often commit criminal acts and pretend to be vendors of the market.

Town Clerk Royston King, in an invited comment, told Guyana Chronicle it is “a great responsibility” to ensure that the City and its environs are healthy and safe. He added: “All sections of the City must be properly organized to allow the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to carry out its function and stipulations; and to allow all the persons who are desirous of plying their trade to do so in a safe and healthy manner”.

He lauded the work of the City Constabulary, while noting that every effort is being made to remove similar characters from the environs of the market, so that all illicit activities there would cease.