Two domestic airline employees arrested after ganja bust

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

Two employees of Air Services Limited (ASL) have been arrested in connection with the discovery of a quantity of marijuana that was destined for an interior location, according to well-placed sources.

A well-placed source at the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been asked to advise on a recommendation that the duo be charged.  The 157 grams of marijuana were found in a box.

The source said a woman, who chartered the aircraft, was also assisting investigators in their probe. So far, anti-drug agents have found out that a woman took a box containing the marijuana to an ASL clerk who allegedly failed to take the required information and check the box.

CANU agents said the box was addressed to someone at Kaikan believed to be a Guyana Defence Force soldier.

General Manager of ASL, Annette Arjoon-Martins earlier Tuesday afternoon said she was not aware at that time that any of her staff members were arrested. She said an aircraft charterer went to ASL with a sealed box that was detected by a CANU officer “quickly”. The charterer and the loader, she said, were taken away for questioning.

“I also spoke to the charterer that the onus is on you to burst open every box…I said to her the company would not be taking responsibility if you have not checked every singly box… whatever…and I said to her we would deal with the officers directly,” she said.

Arjoon-Martins said ASL, which is monitored by 35 cameras and seven security agents, also works closely with police and CANU. “They have one hundred percent access to our premises to check on whatever,” she said.