A Guyana Defence Force rank , who was found guilty of trafficking in excess of four pounds of marijuana during a stop and search exercise by police in the vicinity of the Berbice River Bridge in January this year, has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Senior Magistrate Alex Moore, presiding at the New Amsterdam Court, imposed a two-year imprisonment term along with a two million dollar fine on Collis Beckles . If he fails to  pay the fine , Beckles will have to serve  an additional two year sentence.

On January 5, last around 21:30hrs, the defendant, of Lot 70 Barnwell North, Mocha, East Bank Demerara,  was a passenger in hire car HC 5799  travelling the Georgetown to New Amsterdam route when it was stopped at a police roadblock in the vicinity of the Berbice River Bridge.

 The driver, along with the other occupants of the car , were searched. It was during the examination, that the suspected trafficker claimed ownership of a grey and black haversack in which was the defendant’s identification card, a pair of black Timberland slippers, a green sheet, and two black plastic bags were seen with seeds, leaves and stems, suspected to be cannabis sativa. The narcotic weighed 2137 grams or  4 lbs 11 ounces.

Under caution, Beckles said,” Somebody give me the weed to drop in NA.”

However, he submitted a written statement, in which he revealed that one Denheart, who is an ex-soldier living in New Amsterdam, called him via cellular phone, and requested that he collect a parcel from his brother in front of the former KFC outlet at the Stabroek Market and deliver same to him in New Amsterdam.