TAXI driver Ralph Benn, 24, of Rose Hall Town and Terrence Forde, 33, of West Ruimveldt, were remanded to custody when they appeared before Magistrate Rhondell Weever at the Fort Wellington Magistrate Court on Thursday.

Their court appearance was in connection with a mid-morning drugs bust on the Weldaad Public Road, West Coast Berbice, last Tuesday.

They were accused of being in possession of 950 grams of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking.

The charges followed a mid-morning bust by police officers of Weldaad Police Station, which occurred when they stopped and searched a hire car and found the narcotics in a black back pack under the front passenger’s seat.

Benn and Forde were the only persons in hire car HC 7293 at the time the vehicle was stopped and searched.

Reports are that the policemen were on duty on the Weldaad Public Road when they noticed the approaching hire car being driven in a manner, which suggested that the driver wanted to evade being stopped.

The vehicle was stopped and the substance was discovered following a search.
Both Benn and Forde pleaded not guilty to the charge when they appeared before Magistrate Weever Thursday.

Prosecutor Corporal Racquel Mars requested that they both be refused bail and Magistrate Weever remanded the duo to custody and ordered that they be brought back to court on September 20 for further hearing of the matter.