A SURINAMESE national, Virjanand Narain, was on Monday handed a three-year sentence with a fine of GY$688,350, after pleading guilty to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

According to the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU), Narain appeared before Magistrate Ranita Singh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court to answer the charge of possession of a narcotic for the purpose of trafficking 66.9 grammes of ecstasy and 101.5 grammes of hashish known as cannabis resin.

On June 3, 2023, CANU officers while conducting an operation at Eliza Mary, Corriverton, Berbice, intercepted the Surinamese national with a quantity of narcotics suspected to be MDMA (ecstasy) and hashish.

He was arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters, Berbice along with the suspected narcotics where it was weighed and tested. The drugs contained 69.9 grammes of MDMA and 101.5 grammes of hashish, both of which tested positive for their respective substances.