LINDEN taxi driver, Ezera Greene, who was allegedly nabbed with over G$1M worth of cannabis in his car was on Thursday released on $200,000 bail by Magistrate Wanda Fortune.

Greene, 36, appeared before the Linden Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on December 21, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, he had 1.24 kilograms of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

His attorney made application for reasonable bail on the grounds of multiple occupancy.  The attorney stressed that the drugs were not found on his client’s person, but rather in his vehicle, which was being used at the time of the bust to transport passengers.

In the circumstances, the magistrate released Greene on $200,000 bail, on condition that he reports to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU)’s headquarters every last Friday of the month until completion of the case. He was also ordered to lodge his passport at the court, while the matter has been adjourned until January 26, 2022.

According to a release from CANU, acting on a ‘tip-off’ on the day in question, ranks conducted a surveillance operation near the Linden Bus Park in Georgetown, and after identifying the two individuals about whom they were warned entering a motor vehicle, they decided to give pursuit.
They trail led all the way out of town, up the East Bank corridor, and onto the Soesdyke-Highway.

“Following that,” CANU reported, “the vehicle was stopped, and a search of the vehicle and its occupants was conducted. During this search, a brick-like object suspected of containing narcotics was discovered concealed in the vehicle.”

Greene, being the driver, and the other occupants of the vehicle were all escorted to CANU headquarters, where the “brick-like object” was tested and weighed, and determined to be a type of foreign marijuana commonly known as “poppy”. When weighed, the substance was found to have 1.2 kg (2.64lbs), and a street value of more than G$1,000,000.00.