The Guyana Revenue Authority today hailed the role of its officers in what is said was the largest ever drug bust in the country’s history – 792 lbs of cocaine secreted in timber at a Soesdyke lumberyard for export to Holland.
The GRA press release follows:
“Wednesday February 20, 2013, Georgetown: On Tuesday, February 19, 2013, the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) made the largest drug bust in the history of Guyana, when a total of three hundred and fifty nine point eight kilograms of cocaine (359.8kg) was discovered in a shipment of lumber destined for the Netherlands.
“On January 17, 2013, Customs Declaration number C2474 was presented to the DEU by a representative of the Guyana Timber Products Inc. to be processed for the exportation of seven (7) containers of Mats of Hardwood (MHW). On January 21, 2013, the shipment was inspected and certified by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and issued with the relevant certifications by the said agency.
“Subsequently, the Commercial Invoice, C72 Form, Timber Marketing Certificate, Export Certificate and the General System of Preferencing Certificate of Origin were submitted to the Guyana Revenue Authority for the shipment of seven containers.
“However, on January 30, 2013, whilst the containers were being scanned anomalies were observed and three containers, with the numbers TEMU 3177872-7, CMAU 120027-1 and ECMU 156081-4 sealed with the CTA seal numbers 161100 ,161102 and 174880 respectively, were determined necessary for a secondary examination out of a total of seven that were scheduled to be exported. It was determined that the images were not in keeping with the information contained on the C72 Form, which clearly indicated that the content of the containers were the MHW. Among the contents of container ECMU 156081 were blocks of hardwood. The GRA’s Standard Operating Procedures requires its staff to establish that the contents in the containers are in keeping with what is contained on the C72 Forms.
“Upon examination, officials of the DEU (which is mandated to combat the trafficking of narcotics, survey and monitor exports at the various ports in Georgetown) noted that there were discrepancies in the physical content and colour coding of some of the logs. Having confirmed that those were the logs that presented the anomalies, instructions were given
for one of the logs to be drilled. This resulted in the discovery of a white powdery substance which was tested and revealed to be cocaine. The logs numbering eight (8) in numbers were pried open in the presence of officials from CANU, DEU, GFC and the Shipping agent.
“Each plank, with the exception of one, contained a total of forty bricks At the completion of the examination a total of three hundred and fourteen (314) bricks of cocaine were discovered.
“The Guyana Revenue Authority would like to categorically state that its officers operated in a professional manner and followed all established Standard Operating Procedures and as such must be commended for their professionalism and diligence in the execution of their duties. The Guyana Revenue Authority is continuing its investigation of any possible involvement by external agencies and the exporter in attempting to secrete the substance in the logs that were destined for” Holland.
