550 million dollars cocaine in lumber bust
A Guyana Revenue Authority official, Drug Enforcement Unit agent Sherwayne De Abreu, was among four men remanded to prison Wednesday over the $550M cocaine-in-lumber find at a sawmill located at Lot B Lookout, East Bank Essequibo.
De Abreu of 262 Eighth Street, Section A, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown; motor bike racer, Stephen Vieira of 37 Middle Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown; businessman, Tazim Gafoor and his son, Nazim Gafoor, a motor car racer, both of Menzies Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, were all arraigned before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool in the Leonora Magistrate’s Court. They pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that between March 1 and May 12 at Narine Lall’s sawmill, they aided Hakim Mohamed to traffick 84.986 kilograms of cocaine. The men were represented by Attorneysat-Law Mark Conway; Latchmie Rahamat; Everton Singh-Lammy and Stanley Moore respectively. The Attorneys petitioned for bail for their clients. However, Magistrate Liverpool refused bail and instructed them to return to court on June 12 for disclosure of statements and fixture of a date for commencement of trial. The media understands that the bust was made after CANU officials received a tip off on May 12. When they acted, the boards were being packed onto a truck. The truck driver and porters were arrested but were subsequently released after it was discovered that the vehicle and its workers were hired to transport the timber.
The drug agency in a release had said that ranks conducted a search at the parapet in front of the premises of Mohamed and searched a truck laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber boards prepared for export. Several pieces of boards were drilled randomly by the ranks and revealed a whitish substance. The lumber was packed at a sawmill located at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo, belonging to Narine Lall, to be transported to a wharf in Georgetown and then shipped to the United States of America, CANU stated. An arrest warrant has been issued for Lall, who is said to be out of the country. CANU in a statement had said that Vieira was listed on the shipping documents as a representative of the shipper, Lall. The Attorneys argued that their clients had no possession, control or custody of the narcotics. Attorney Conway said that De Abreu was not present when the narcotics were found. He assured the court that his client is not a flight risk and disclosed that throughout the investigation, De Abreu has been reporting to CANU headquarters.
(Kaieteurnews.com)