CANU still probing cocaine-in-logs find

More than a week since nearly 800 pounds of cocaine was found concealed in hollowed-out timber logs that were being prepared for shipment to Holland by Guyana Timber Products (GTP) Inc there seems to be no clear indication as to who was behind the elaborate scheme.

At the moment, ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) are still conducting investigations and according to its head James Singh there has been no additional arrest or developments in the case.

Initially four men, including a Dutch national, were held. One of the men, a forklift operator, was released hours later while the Dutchman was released two nights later after his lawyer filed Habeas Corpus proceedings in the High Court. The other two persons were released the following day. Charges are yet to be filed in the case.

Based on the reports reaching Stabroek News, the cocaine was packed into the logs at the company’s Lot 80 Soesdyke Public Road operations base. It was later ascertained that the logs contained a total of 314 parcels of cocaine. After being packed, the logs were placed in a container and then transported to a city wharf for shipping.

Security sources have pointed out that a lot of thought went into concealment of the drugs, given where the logs were stored. The source said it was hard to believe that there isn’t a paper trail leading to persons who have a high probability of being involved, or even the masterminds.

According to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), on January 21, a shipment of seven containers was inspected and certified by the Guyana Forestry Commis-sion (GFC) and issued with the relevant certifications by the agency.

Subsequently, the necessary paperwork was submitted to the GRA for the shipment of the containers.

But on January 30, while the containers were being scanned, anomalies were observed and three containers were determined necessary for a secondary examination.

The images that were observed were not in keeping with the information that was contained in one of the shipping forms, which had clearly indicated that the containers had the Mats of Hardwood.

Among the contents of one of the containers were blocks of hardwood.

Officials of the GRA’s Drug Enforcement Unit also noted that there were discrepancies in the physical content and colour coding of some of the logs and after it was confirmed that those were the logs that presented the anomalies, instructions were given for one of the logs to be drilled, the GRA said. It was at this point that cocaine was found.