Duo granted $75,000 bail each for breaking into CANU HQ – INews Guyana

Two vendors accused of breaking into the headquarters of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) were on Monday brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where Magistrate Fabayo Azore expressed concern over how the security agency’s building was breached.

Travis Payne, 33, and Tonisha Roberts, 31, appeared before Magistrate Azore and were not required to enter a plea to the charge, which alleges that they, together with others, broke and entered CANU’s Homestretch Avenue headquarters on November 26.

The court heard that the duo allegedly made their way into the building and stole two gas cylinders and a welding hose valued at $290,000, property of Peter Ramsundar. According to police, the items had been stored on the first floor of the facility. Investigators have since recovered the stolen equipment and returned it to the owner.

During the proceeding, Police Prosecutor did not oppose bail but requested that reporting conditions be imposed. The investigative rank assigned to the matter confirmed to the court that the stolen items were quickly traced and retrieved. However, the circumstances surrounding the break-in raised questions from the bench.

Magistrate Azore, visibly puzzled, asked how civilians managed to access and burgle CANU’s headquarters, an institution expected to maintain strict security protocols. Her query underscored concerns about vulnerabilities at one of the country’s key anti-narcotics facilities.

Payne and Roberts were each granted $75,000 bail and ordered to report to the East La Penitence Police Station on the last Friday of every month until the case concludes. The matter was adjourned to January 26.

Monday’s appearance adds to a growing list of court matters involving Payne, who has been before the courts repeatedly in recent years. He is separately facing ten charges linked to a series of high-value thefts committed between May 4 and October 10, 2024. In that matter, he is accused of stealing items including luxury iPhones, gold jewellery, and perfumes, together valued at nearly $1.9 million. Payne is also charged with discharging a loaded firearm at a police officer with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in m.

Also in April, Payne returned before Senior Magistrate Azore to request a reduction of the $50,000 bail previously set on each of his ten charges, an amount he told the court his family could not afford. Taking his financial circumstances into account, the magistrate reduced the total bail to $150,000, which Payne indicated his relatives were able to pay. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and it is unclear what the status of that case is.
This is not Payne’s first encounter with the justice system.

In 2018, he was charged with nine counts of armed robbery, discharging a firearm, and escaping lawful custody. Following a trial before Magistrate Annette Singh, he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in September 2019.

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