DURING a stop and search exercise at the Berbice Bridge on Monday afternoon, a 22-year-old mini bus passenger allegedly had, in his possession, a bulky black bag containing leaves, seeds and stems, purportedly to be portions of the prohibited plant, cannabis sativa.

The narcotic, when weighed, amounted to 445 grams. The arrest was made during the routine exercise in which the West Coast Berbice resident had been a passenger in a Route 56 minibus bearing registration number BGG 4059. He was seated in the front passenger seat with a black haversack on his lap when police stopped the vehicle and asked the passengers to disembark.

Initially, the labourer who hails from the village of Kingelly was searched, but after nothing incriminating was found, searches were made in his bag where the narcotic was unearthed. The accused remains in custody and is expected to make a court appearance shortly.