Venezuelan among five on arms charges

FIVE people, comprising a Cedros family of four and a Venezuelan national, were refused bail yesterday when they appeared before a San Fernando Magistrate charged with possession of arms and ammunition.

The five persons including Lalchan Bodie, 49, his wife Joycie Bodie, 44, their sons Shazam Bodie, 19, and Azam Bodie along with Venezuelan national Ronald Silva, 22, all appeared before Magistrate Sonia Aleong to answer the charges which were laid indictably. Court prosecutor Cpl Joey Samaroo objected to bail. The five were arrested on Monday around 5 pm at a house in Bamboo Village, Cedros during an exercise conducted by police officers from the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU). Two shotguns, one of which is a pump-action weapon, 20 rounds of  12-gauge cartridges and  nine rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition, were seized. Magistrate Aleong transferred the matter to the Point Fortin Magistrates’ Court where the five would reappear on October 31.