A FORTY-FIVE-year-old man was, on Friday, charged for allegedly trafficking $2.6 million in cocaine and was remanded to prison.

Ian Griffith, of North East La Penitence, appeared at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Zamina Alli-Seepaul.

Griffith pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on March 3, 2022, at Den Amstel, East Bank Essequibo, he had 2.330 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

He was remanded to prison until April 4, 2022.

According to a release from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), on the day in question ranks were conducting an operation between Ruby and Den Amstel.

During the operation, Griffith was arrested with two parcels of suspected cocaine weighing 2.330 kilograms. The cocaine had a street value of $2.6 million.

In 2016, Griffith was charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.004 kilogrammes of cocaine out of Guyana by using a 15-year-old Guyanese boy, who is a United States resident.

The cocaine was concealed in the handles of the teen’s luggage.

The matter against Griffith was dismissed.