The suspected cannabis were reportedly concealed in two bags placed in the boot of an ash colour BMW vehicle with registration number KM 7044 E.
Ousman Saidybah, the spokesperson of the narcotics agency who was contacted for comments, confirmed the development, saying: “Records of the Agency shows that Lamin Jarju has on several occasions been arrested by DLEAG for drug-related offences.
“In some of those cases, he was arrested while on bail and on trial for drug-related offences. However, he continuously engaged in his illicit activities to the extent of endangering public security and safety.”
Further commenting on the matter, the spokesperson said one Malang Beyai was arrested on 7 February 2022 around 19:50 hours GMT onwards with thirty-five big bundles of suspected cannabis concealed in the boot of a vehicle owned by Lamin Jarju.
He added that Beyai was convicted and the said vehicle was returned to him (Lamin Jarju) as the rightful owner of the vehicle after he claimed that he had no knowledge about the vehicle being used to traffic drugs.
However, Lamin Jarju was himself arrested around Kololi New Road on the 23rd of May 2022 around 21:00 hours GMT onwards with twenty-one (21) bundles of suspected cannabis sativa concealed in the back boot of a BMW vehicle registration number BJL 8611 T.
Prior to these incidents, spokesperson SaidyBah said Lamin Jarju on the 20th of October 2020 acted in a “reckless and dangerous manner” by failing to stop at a checkpoint and speeding off at top speed from Old Yundum Police Station to Sukuta traffic light passing through Brusubi to Kololi Tavern with a Narcotics Agency officer on the roof top of his vehicle”.
“He deliberately refused to stop and adhere to the officers call for him to stop the said vehicle,” he said. “His actions placed the lives of officers, road users and other pedestrians at risk. On that occasion, he was driving a Mercedes Benz C Class with registration number BJL 8063.”
Sequel to those case mentioned, he stated that Lamin Jarju was sentenced to pay a fine of one hundred thousand Dalasis (D100,000.00) for a drug trafficking-related offence that occurred on 29 October 2020. The fine was to be paid in two installments (October and November 2020 respectively).
“Similarly, a sum of D89,700.00 that he Lamin Jarju was arrested with, and it was found to be proceeds from drug trafficking and was forfeited to the State together with a Mercedes Benz BJL 1677 Q.”
SaidyBah explained that the court on that occasion gave him (Lamin Jarju) an opportunity to reform and prove that he was a responsible member of society.
However, his continual arrest even after that judgement and several other subsequent arrests while on bail, he said, clearly shows that “Lamin is not ready to change his conduct and behaviour”.
The Narcotics Agency’s spokesperson vowed that they would not relent and would continue to execute their mandate without fear, favour, affection or ill will.
