Previously convicted trafficker among quartet remanded 
FOUR men nabbed in the Thursday Corentyne, Berbice drug bust appeared before Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond yesterday.
Salim Bacchus alias ‘Black Salim’, of Line Path , Skeldon, Corentyne; Canadian resident Narayan Jarbandhan, of Lot 11 Gordon Street, Kitty, Georgetown, who faced a trafficking charge last year; Gary Belgrave, of Section ‘C’ Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara and Leo Hernandez, of Block X Section ‘C’ Diamond, East Bank Demerara, all pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking.
Bacchus was charged separately on the allegation that, on November 3, he trafficked in 41.856 kilogrammes of cocaine and the other three defendants faced a joint charge, which said they trafficked the same amount, on November 3, too.
The defendants will make another Court appearance on November 8, before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Special Prosecutor Oswald Massiah indicated to  Magistrate Chandan-Edmond that Jarbandhan was previously convicted of trafficking in narcotics, sentenced to five years imprisonment and fined $30,000 but has appealed the conviction and was granted bail pending the outcome of the appeal.
Reports said Bacchus is the brother of Azad Bacchus also known as `Ak 47′, who was killed in a shootout with the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS) in 2001.
The latest cocaine bust was announced by Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee during an interaction with the media on Thursday morning.
CANU Head James Singh later confirmed that it occurred around 06:00 hrs Thursday in the Crabwood Creek/Skeldon Line Path, Corentyne area.
He said, while more persons were arrested initially, only four suspects remained in custody then, assisting with the investigation.
Singh said 40 kilogrammes of cocaine was seized in the operation which took place after the area had been under surveillance for a few days.
He said the cocaine originated from Guyana’s North West District and was believed to be en route to Suriname.