Smuggled chicken seizure points to purchase rackets in army, prison service

Authorities are said to be investigating linkages between smuggling and purchases of chicken by the army and the Guyana Prison Services.

The probe which involves the police and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) was sparked a few weeks ago after a known smuggler was nabbed with a large quantity of chicken.

He was processed at the Kitty Police Station.

According to sources, the man was unable to explain from where he sourced the chicken. He was fined over $10M by the GRA for unpaid taxes. Kaieteur News was told that during the course of their information gathering, the investigators found out that the man would sell to the army and to the Guyana Prison Service.

Investigators believed that something was wrong in the procurement process.

Reports of the Audit Office have over the years raised questions about certain aspects of procurement at the police and army.

In the case of this importation,

Advertentie Kaieteur News was told that investigators are looking into whether the businessman mixed local chicken with the smuggled ones to hide his tracks.

The chicken seized would have been valued over $50M. GRA has been recording more seizures in recent years with the majority of smuggled chicken coming from Suriname. GRA said it has been donating the chicken to the Palms and other places because of the cost for keeping it refrigerated.

(Kaieteur News)