TANYA Mohammed, the third defendant ensnared in the recent drug bust involving another Canadian, at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, appeared before Magistrate Priya Beharry at Providence Court, East Bank Demerara yesterday. The defendant, of Lot 59 Annapolis Way, Ontario, Canada, pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that she and Brittani Shand, also 20, of the same address, on June 23, had 1.28 grammes of cocaine for exportation.

Both women were further remanded to prison until July 29.

They allegedly ingested cocaine pellets and were nabbed while trying to depart Guyana.

Walter Remington Aaron, 37, of Lot 37 Robb Street, Lacytown, in the city, too, pleaded not guilty, as well, to being in possession of a similar amount of the narcotic and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah linked him to Shand and Mohammed.

Massiah said Aaron, who was refused bail by a city magistrate, had the women at his home before putting them in a hotel after picking them up at the airport on their arrival.

According to the Prosecutor, Shand and Mohammed were recruited in Canada and sent to Guyana to contact Aaron and others to take the drug back, for a payment of Cdn$6,000 each.

Massiah said Shand and Mohammed admitted swallowing the substance and were sent to a hospital where Shand passed out four and Mohammed three, after surgery.