A Vigilance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) businessman has been remanded to prison following a drug bust that sparked an almost out-of-control riot at Buxton yesterday.
Twenty-five-year-old Odearie Phillips called ‘Diamond’ was arraigned before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court. He denied the allegation brought against him by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).
It is alleged that on February 1, 2023, at Buxton, East Coast Demerara, he had in his possession, 23.2kgs of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. The narcotics carried a street value of $7M.
Yesterday, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) said its officers conducted an operation on the ECD road where it was in pursuit of a motor vehicle driven by Phillips. CANU said the vehicle drove into Buxton in an attempt to escape but was subsequently apprehended.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 12 parcels of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis. The driver was arrested and later placed before the courts.
