BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 6, 2017–A Dangriga man who was remanded on a charge of drug trafficking for allegedly having in his possession 2.2 kilos (4.85 pounds) of cocaine, was cleared of the charge this morning when he was brought to court from the Belize Central Prison, where he has been since July 31, when he was arraigned on the charge.

Keenan Flores, 23, appeared before Magistrate Aretha Ford, but the magistrate told him that the prosecution had withdrawn the charge against him based on a memorandum that was sent by the Belize Forensic and Science Services, in which the lab declared that the substance that was supposedly cocaine was in fact sugar.

Amandala received information, however, that Flores had told the police that it was not cocaine when they arrested him and laid the drug trafficking charge against him.

The information Amandala received from a police source is that Flores was attempting to get money from a drug dealer and had intended to sell him fake cocaine.

Flores was charged after police, acting on information they received, searched a sky-blue GMC Jimmy on Sunday night, July 30, and found the substance, wrapped up in a plastic bag, on the back seat of the vehicle.

The vehicle was parked in front of a house on Tibruce Street where Flores was staying. There was no one in the vehicle at the time police conducted their search and found the suspected cocaine.