Dataram's ex-wife among four charged over 76kg cannabis in Romala
Four people, including the ex-wife of drug trafficker Barry Dataram, were charged at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court over 76.11 kg of cannabis found in a house at Romala Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara. All pleaded not guilty, were refused bail and were remanded to 24 July 2016.
🇬🇾 Romala Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, Guyana
Four people were jointly charged at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday
13 June 2016 over cannabis found in a house in Romala Housing Scheme, West Coast
Demerara.[1]They were Balkhrison Ramdass, 54, and three women: Shameza Khan,
34, the ex-wife of drug trafficker Barry Dataram, Falicia Laundry and Andrea
Purran, 40.[1]
Agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Guyana’s anti-drug agency,
searched the house acting on information and found 76 kilos and 110 grams of
cannabis.[1]The cannabis was being compressed and was believed to be prepared
for shipment abroad.[1]
All four pleaded not guilty to the joint charge before Chief Magistrate Ann
McLennan.[1]They were denied bail and remanded until 24 July 2016.[1]Ramdass faced a second charge of soliciting persons to traffic narcotics and
also pleaded not guilty to it.[1]
Photos and video
An undated screenshot published with the report, seemingly a text capture of the case account; it is not captioned as showing the house, the cannabis or the defendants.Photo details
News Source Guyana places the house on the West Bank Demerara in one sentence and in Romala Housing Scheme on the West Coast in another; other outlets later reported the court charge as citing Lot 54 Alvan Avenue, Romala Housing Scheme.
The submitted account gives the search as 7 to 8 June and the remand date as 24 July, while other outlets reported a charge covering 7 to 9 June and a remand to 24 June.
The submitted account gives 76 kilos and 110 grams, while the court charge as reported elsewhere gives 76.91 kilograms.
Only one source could be opened in this snapshot, and no outcome of the case after the remand hearing is reported.
No usable photo of the event was available: the one image published with the article is an undated screenshot rather than a picture of the raid, the cannabis or the defendants.
A 23-year-old Enmore man was charged at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court with possessing 3.75 lbs (about 1.7 kg) of cannabis-infused gummies for the purpose of trafficking, offences alleged to have happened on Qua-mina Street on 23 May 2025. He pleaded not guilty and was granted GY$50,000 bail until 24 September.
A 23-year-old vendor was granted GY$200,000 bail at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court after being charged with possessing 195.5 grams of marijuana for trafficking, following his arrest at Water Street on 22 March 2025. He pleaded not guilty; his lawyer said the drugs were found at a stall 20 yards from his and were not confirmed as marijuana.
Roger Simon, 60, Kean Cort, 36, and Lionel Mohamed, 62, appeared at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on 19 September 2022 charged over cannabis found in separate police searches. Simon and Cort obtained $100,000 and $300,000 bail, while Mohamed was remanded to prison.
Two men were arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court in October 2013 over 8.206 kilograms of cannabis that CANU agents found in a suitcase and a car outside the La Familia Hotel, South Ruimveldt. Both were refused bail and remanded to 14 October; the hotel owner was never charged.
