Immigration officer denies gun, ammo, drug charges

Daiquan Martin, an immigration officer, has denied charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of 149 cannabis plants, and possession of 310 grammes of cured cannabis.
So, the police prosecution will be putting him on trial on June 6 before All Saint’s Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel, who conducted the first hearing of the case this week when Martin pleaded not guilty.
His co-accused, Troy Baptiste, pleaded guilty to all but the charge of possession with intent to transfer the cannabis to others. He has joined Martin on remand pending the outcome of the trial two months from now.
The two men have the option to apply for bail in the High Court.
Martin, who also lives at Bendals, was with Baptiste last Friday when officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and K-9 Unit searched a property in Bendals, which Baptiste occupied, and found one .380 pistol and eight matching rounds of ammunition.
The police also found more than 100 cannabis plants growing on the property and uprooted them.
The illegal items were seized and taken to a police station. Martin was represented by Dane Hamilton, Sr. and Baptiste’s lawyer was Michael Archibald.
Two months ago, amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act took effect, making it legal for residents to have in their possession, up to 15 grammes of cannabis instead of the original 10 grammes proposed.
The change to the law also made it lawful for a household to have up to four cannabis plants.