Man linked to 2023 Buxton fiery protest convicted of drug trafficking

Odearie Phillips, the 26-year-old, whose arrest in 2023 by the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) led to unrest at Buxton, has been convicted of trafficking marijuana.

Phillips, who was on trial before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court, was found guilty of possession of 23.3 kilograms of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined over $20 million. Phillips of Vigilance Housing Scheme was arrested on February 1, 2023, after CANU ranks conducted an intelligence-led operation on the East Coast of Demerara to intercept a motor vehicle.

The vehicle under surveillance drove into Buxton, evading the officers on several occasions, including at a roadblock on the Buxton Public Road.

Following the vehicle’s interception, a search revealed 12 parcels of marijuana. Phillips, who was driving at the time, was arrested. CANU estimated the value of the seized drug at $7 million.

Phillips’s arrest sparked public hostility, leading to assaults on several officers as villagers sought to free him from lawful custody. The altercation resulted in damage to several CANU vehicles and prompted officers to discharge shots into the air to control the situation.