A 69-year-old farmer, Albert Sandy from Tacama Waterfront, Upper Berbice River, was on Thursday sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking over 310 kilogrammes (683 pounds) of marijuana.
His co-accused, former AFC Member of Parliament Devin Sears, an educator and political activist from Mackenzie, Linden, was remanded to prison pending trial.
Sears, 39, appeared before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool at the Linden Magistrate’s Court, where he was jointly charged with Sandy for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
Sears, who was represented by attorneys Nigel Hughes and Bernard Da Silva, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
His attorneys made an application for bail, but Magistrate Liverpool denied the request, ordering that Sears be remanded to prison until his next court appearance.
Da Silva pointed out that Sears was remanded even though his co-accused had accepted “full responsibility” for the narcotics.
Sandy, on the other hand, admitted to the charge and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. The matter was adjourned until November 11 for disclosure and further proceedings.
According to police reports, the two men were arrested on October 20, 2025, after a large quantity of cannabis was found in a vehicle during a routine patrol near the Old Bamia Police Checkpoint in Linden.
At around 20:41 hrs that evening, police ranks stopped a dark blue Toyota Hiace minibus, registration number BAJ 4486, registered to the Region 10 Tourism Committee Inc., which was being driven by Sears.
Sandy was the only passenger.
Police said the driver began acting suspiciously and sweating profusely when questioned about the vehicle’s contents. When asked what he was transporting, Sears reportedly told the officers he was carrying “tourism plants.”
A search was conducted, during which police found 22 bulky black plastic bags and four large brown canvas bags filled with leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis.
Both men were arrested and informed of the offence. While Sears remained silent, Sandy allegedly admitted ownership of the narcotics, claiming that he had paid Sears to transport him to Parika.
The men and the suspected drugs were escorted to the Mackenzie Police Station, where the substance was weighed in their presence and confirmed to total 310.71 kilogrammes.
Sears and Sandy were later charged with trafficking in narcotics.
Sandy will now serve his four-year prison sentence, while Sears remains in jail as the case continues before the court.
