Taxi driver arrested after more than 13kg of cannabis found in car

A 58-year-old taxi driver was arrested on Sunday after police discovered more than 13 kilograms of cannabis in his vehicle during a stop-and-search exercise along the Linden Highway.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported that the discovery was made at about 15:40 hours on March 8 in the vicinity of Bamia on the Linden Highway.

According to the GPF, ranks conducting the exercise stopped a Toyota Premio motor car, which was being driven by a 58-year-old man from Wismar, Linden, who was the sole occupant.

A search of the driver was first conducted, but nothing illegal was found. However, a subsequent search of the motor car revealed four yellow five-gallon jars in the trunk. Inside the containers, police found twenty-nine parcels wrapped in transparent plastic containing leaves, seeds, and stems of cannabis.

The suspect was immediately arrested and escorted to the Mackenzie Police Station along with the suspected narcotics. Police said the substance was weighed in the presence of the suspect and amounted to 13.154 kilograms before it was lodged. The taxi driver remains in police custody pending charges.