Two denied bail in $94.7m drug bust

Two men who faced a Chaguanas magistrate on Thursday charged in connection with the recent multi-million-dollar drug bust in the Charlieville district have been denied bail.

Selwyn Mathews, 56, of Chin Chin Road, Cunupia, and Odane Anderson, 37, of Vistabella, San Fernando, were charged with having marijuana for trafficking, a release from the police said.

On Wednesday, Cpl Stevenson of the Northern Division’s Gang Investigations Unit charged them.

The magistrate remanded them into the custody and adjourned the case to Friday.

Police contend that around 10.30 am on August 12, officers of the Central Intelligence Bureau, the Northern Division Gang Unit, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), with support from officers of the Customs and Excise Department and port security, intercepted a container at Kolahal Road, Charlieville in Chaguanas.

The container reportedly left the Port of Port of Spain on the same day.

When police searched the container, they found 958 boxes containing compressed marijuana. It weighed 947.64 kilogrammes and has a street value of $94,764,000. Police also seized $60,000.

Police arrested eight people. Some were later released.