Three years for smuggling cannabis into Lusignan Prison
Timothy Mc Garrell, 24, pleaded guilty at the Vigilance Magistrate's Court on 18 February 2026 to introducing cannabis into the Lusignan Prison hidden under his slipper soles. Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce sentenced him to three years in prison and fined him $30,000.
Timothy Mc Garrell, a 24-year-old labourer of the Timehri Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, was caught trying to smuggle cannabis into the Lusignan Prison on 17 February 2026.[1][2][3]Prison officers intercepted him at routine checks at the prison checkpoint on the East Coast of Demerara and found cannabis concealed under the soles of his slippers.[1][3]He was arrested and handed over to the police.[1][3]
He was charged with introducing narcotics into prison under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.[1][2]He appeared on Wednesday 18 February at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court before Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce, admitted the offence when the charge was read and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with a $30,000 fine.[1][2]The second account confirms the fine as $30,000 Guyanese dollars.[2]
Guyana Times reported that the interception happened on a Saturday morning, and a prison official said the cannabis was confiscated.[4]Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot commended the officers for their vigilance and warned the public that such attempts would be detected and dealt with firmly.[3]
Photos and video
The quantity of cannabis found concealed under Timothy McGarrell's slipper soles at the Lusignan Prison checkpoint, captioned 'Identified item'. Photo: Guyana Prison Service / Stabroek NewsPhoto details
The quantity of cannabis hidden under Mc Garrell's slipper soles was not stated.
The Guyana News Updates page shows no separate publication date; its images were uploaded in February 2026.
The arrest-day accounts give no weight for the cannabis found in the slippers.
Guyana Times dates the interception to a Saturday morning, while the sentencing accounts say the offence was committed on Tuesday 17 February 2026; the report keeps the court's date.
Nishart Samsundar, 20, was jailed for four years and fined G$1,778,400 on 31 January 2024 after pleading guilty to trafficking and cultivation following a CANU raid on a cannabis farm at Hauraruni Village.
Arrested 2Plants destroyed 5,200Cannabis 1.976 kgPrison 4 years
Latchman Sankar, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison and fined G$49.6 million on 18 January 2024 after admitting possession of more than 55 kg of cannabis. CANU officers had arrested him with Sanya Ramrattan three days earlier at Hubu Parika, seizing 102 parcels valued at about G$20 million.
Guyana police arrested three Venezuelans at Arakaka on 20 October 2023 after finding three pistols, ammunition, 64.7 grams of marijuana and cocaine in a house search. One man pleaded guilty and was jailed for three years for marijuana trafficking plus further terms for cocaine and weapons, while the other two denied the charges.
Two Parika labourers were charged at the Leonora Magistrate Court over separate cannabis finds of 49 grammes and 53 grammes by the Leonora Police Station in August 2023. One pleaded not guilty and was bailed at $150,000; the other pleaded guilty and was fined $30,000 and jailed three months.
