CANU nets almost 325 lbs of cocaine, ganja in Mon Repos bust
-arrest couple, searching for boat captain, Venezuelans
A couple from Good Hope, East Coast Demerara were arrested yesterday morning and several others, including Venezuelan nationals, are being sought following the discovery of almost 325 pounds in total of cocaine and marijuana, which were unearthed in a wooden vessel at Mon Repos.
The Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), in a brief statement, confirmed that an operation was conducted during the wee hours of yesterday morning and uncovered 82 parcels of cocaine, weighing 91.132 kilogrammes (200.9 pounds) and 98 parcels of cannabis, weighing 56.008 kilogrammes (123.4 pounds) , were found. The total 147 kilogrammes of narcotics is equivalent to 324 pounds.
The agency explained that during the operation, several locations along the East Coast seawall which are used for the docking of fishing vessels were reconnoitered. Sometime around 4 am, it said, a suspected fishing vessel was seen approaching a docking location in the Mon Repos channel and was intercepted. At the time, CANU said two suspects were spotted in the boat. While the boat captain, who is known by the alias ‘Dive and Shoot,’ of Mon Repos foreshore, escaped, another suspect was detained.
The man, who has been identified as Azim Baksh called ‘Bato,’ of Lot 123 Good Hope, ECD and his wife are currently in custody assisting with the investigation.