Two men recently busted by the Customs Anti -Narcotic Unit (CANU) allegedly with cocaine in a room at the Alpha International Hotel at Ogle, were remanded to prison after being jointly charged for conspiring to traffic the illicit drug.Making their first appearance before City Magistrate Judy Latchman was 35-year-old Dwayne Adams of Middle Street, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara and 44-year-old Hubert Smith of Lot 3464 North Ruimveldt, both of whom pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Particulars of the charge alleged that the two men on November 13 at the Alpha hotel conspired with each other to traffic in 848 grams of cocaine.
Adams had attempted to plead guilty to save Smith, who he claimed had no knowledge of the drug and was sleeping at the time. But his lawyer, Mr. Peter Hugh, instructed him to do otherwise.
According to the lawyer, he ordered his client to enter a not guilty plea, since Adams should have been charged for trafficking and not indicted on a conspiracy charge.
The prosecutor, Corporal Keri Boswick, objected to bail on the grounds that Adams through a caution statement admitted to having the drug after he told CANU officers he had ingested 25 pellets. He was then taken to the Woodlands Hospital where he excreted the substance.
Magistrate Latchman upheld bail and both men were remanded until December 7 when they will make their second court appearance.
According to a report, ranks acting on a tip-off were able to swoop down on the hotel last Saturday and arrested the two suspected drug mules as they were preparing to board a flight to New York.