Georgetown: Three persons have been taken into custody following the discovery of a huge quantity of cocaine stashed in a consignment of 5/8 inches of plywood destined for Florida, USA.
According to information received, at about 13:00h on Thursday at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, East Bank Demerara, the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Drug Enforcement Unit along with the Port Control Unit were examining the consignment of plywood when the cocaine was unearthed.
Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh said that the operation was a joint effort by the Police, the GRA and the Port Control Unit.
He explained that during the examination process, anomalies were detected, hence a decision was taken to search individual sheets of ply wood which amounted to 320. He stated that upon checking, the cocaine was stashed in neatly carved holes in the plywood.
He added that for an actual quantity to be given, each sheet of plywood would have to be examined.
However, the GRA stated that the plywood’s consignee was listed as a business located on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway with the consignment’s prospective recipient being a Hardware establishment in Florida.
GRA’s officials had become suspicious of the contents of the consignment based on the behaviour displayed by the consignee’s representatives during the examination process. A source close to investigations related that the men were trying to hurry up the examination process, claiming that they needed to get the shipment out as soon as possible.
The consignment of plywood was transported to CANU headquarters where up to late Thursday evening, the container was being offloaded. The three persons taken into custody are assisting with the investigation.
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