THREE men were remanded to prison on Monday after being charged in connection with the discovery of over 16 kilograms of cocaine allegedly intended for trafficking.
The accused have been identified as Martin Gomez, who has no fixed place of residence; Colin Moore, of Lot 77 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD); and Fawaaz Barakat, of Lot 17 Ruimzeight, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

The men appeared before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Courts.
They were jointly charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

The charge stems from an incident on Wednesday, July 9, when operatives of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) intercepted two vehicles at Turkeyen, located along the ECD.
During the operation, CANU officers discovered a “whitish powdery” substance packaged in several parcels. The substance was tested and confirmed to be cocaine, weighing 16.784 kilograms.

Following the bust, Gomez, Moore, and Barakat were arrested and subsequently charged.

During their court appearance, all three defendants entered not guilty pleas.
Moore and Barakat were represented by attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva.

The court ordered that the men be remanded to prison pending further legal proceedings.
The matter has been adjourned to August 19 for report and disclosure.