Stephen Vieira still in custody over Zeelugt cocaine find
Biker Stephen Vieira, who was arrested on Thursday in connection with the recent Zeelugt cocaine find, will remain in custody over the weekend as officials from the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) continue to probe the discovery, according to a source.
Vieira was arrested on Thursday evening at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport after arriving on a flight from Jamaica. He was detained by the police and later handed over to CANU.
CANU, last Friday conducted a raid at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo during which 84.986 kgs of cocaine, with a street value of over $550 million, were found in dressed lumber.
In a statement, the agency had said that the drugs were found at the Lot 227 Zeelugt premises of Hakeem Mohamed. The drugs, the statement said, were found in hollow lumber bound for the United States.
The lumber, pallets of 1×6 boards, had been loaded onto a truck, which was parked at the residence. “The said search revealed cocaine found in random boards scattered among genuine boards in each pallet; each of the compromised boards had a dug out cavity with the vacuum sealed plastic packets containing cocaine pasted therein,” the statement added.
CANU had said that its investigation had revealed that the truck was hired to pick up and transport the lumber from Lall’s Sawmill at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo to a wharf at Georgetown.
Mohamed, of Zeelugt, and Tazim Gafoor and Nazim Gafoor, of Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, were held following the discovery but were
released after their 72-hour maximum period for detention without charge had expired. Investigators did not apply for an extension to further detain the trio since they had not gathered any new information from them.
Nazim Gafoor, who is a truck driver, and Mohamed were held as suspects when CANU agents swooped down on Mohamed’s residence and made the discovery on Friday, May 12. Tazim Gafoor was arrested last Monday by police, who, acting on information received, went to a location at Parika, where they found him. He was later handed over to CANU.
Tazim Gafoor was previously placed before the court for attempting to pervert the course of justice last September following the unearthing of over nine kilogrammes of cocaine.
As the investigation of the discovery remains active, CANU is seeking Narine Lall, who is wanted for questioning. Lall is said to be out of the jurisdiction.
Four other persons were initially arrested but were released on Monday last, since CANU officials were unable to build any case against them.