Berbice crime sleuths tracking Tuesday night’s horrific accident, in which four persons are feared dead, have arrested an East Canje fisherman as well as three men who were found at a house with over 77lbs of marijuana.

Investigators believe that a group of drug-traffickers, ferrying their loot under the cover of darkness, collided with a smaller boat and fled the scene.

Reports are that the police today seized  77.2 lbs (35 kilograms)  of compressed marijuana , comprising of leaves, and stems  along with  seeds amounted to 4.5 lbs ( 1.97 Kilograms), of the cannabis sativa plant, from a house at Edinburgh Village, East Bank Berbice.

At that location, three men were arrested,including a 20-year-old man of  Maria Henrietta Village, Berbice River, a  51-year-old labourer of Lot 6 Adelphi Village,  East Canje, and a 23-year old labourer of Number Two Village, also in East Canje in Berbice.

According to information reaching Guyana Chronicle, on Wednesday night, in the vicinity of Friendship Village, Berbice River, a fisherman identified as ‘Marvin’,operated  a wooden ballahoo which was propelled by a 75Horse Power Yamaha outboard engine.

The other boat, was also a wooden balahoo driven by a 25HorsePower engine. Its occupants were identified as Julian Mc Kenzie and Kidman Lindie,  both of Sandhills Village, Berbice River, along with  Freeman Denheart and his son, Romario Denheart,  of Heathburn Village, East Bank Berbice.

Reports are that ‘Marvin’ was proceeding north along the Berbice River with  four occupants ferrying the marijuana, while the smaller boat was travelling  in the opposite direction.

The police was informed by the fisherman, that as they were traveling along the Berbice River, he noticed the smaller boat heading towards him, and,  as a consequence he pulled to his right to avoid a collision, while the other captain swerved in the same direction, resulting in a deadly collision.

The occupants of the two boats fell overboard, however, ‘Marvin’ and the  occupants of his boat re-entered their boat and fled the scene, while the captain and three occupants of the other boat went under water and are feared drowned.

Following the collision,the fisherman and his passengers  continued their journey along the river, heading towards New Amsterdam, while his  passengers disembarked the vessel at Calabash Creek, East Bank Berbice.

Intense investigations by ranks in the area resulted in the arrest of the men, who had in their possession thirty two, tightly wrapped transparent plastic parcels, containing leaves seeds and stems, and another  parcel containing seeds.

They were arrested and taken to Central Police Station where the suspected narcotics were weighed in their presence.The boat and engine was also lodged.Checks are being made for a fourth person.

A high level team of investigators ,inclusive of the police and  Coast  Guard ranks, have  since left New Amsterdam Ferry stelling for the riverian community to conduct further investigations.