$100M cocaine-in-fish glue bust

One of three men implicated in the $100M cocaine-in-fish glue bust back in May, on Thursday denied ownership of the boxes that CANU ranks seized from a locked area in the house, saying he had no access there.

On September 7, Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs who is presiding over the case at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court ruled that there was enough evidence for the trio to lead a defence.

Vishnu Bridgelall opted to give a sworn statement in the witness box while Thakoor Persaud and Azad Khan decided to make unsworn statements from the dock.

Bridgelall, called ‘Haffa’, 45, of 90 Second Street, Alberttown, Thakoor Persaud, called ‘Thaks’, 32, of Lot K Soesdyke and Azad Khan, called Waqar, 32, of 6 Madewini, both on the East Bank Demerara, are jointly charged with two counts of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. Another accused, Chandrika Chattergoon, had pleaded guilty when the case was first heard and was sentenced to four years each on two counts of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Bridgelall who remains incarcerated while his two co-accused are out on bail began leading his defence on Thursday.

The businessman testified that he buys fish glue and shark fins and exports them to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Canada and the USA. He said that he has been doing this for in excess of ten years and never encountered a problem with authorities here or overseas. He told the court that Persaud and Khan assisted him in the buying and fetching of the products.

Bridgelall said that he never took the duo to Enterprise (East Coast Demerara) before to fetch fish glue for him. According to him, he never had time to examine and take possession of the fish glue before the CANU officers arrived at the house.

He testified that he had rented the said house from February to March but after that Chattergoon took over the tenancy. Bridgelall stated that he gave Chattergoon the keys to the house and he had control and possession of the premises.

Recounting what happened on the day of the bust, Bridgelall said that when the officers arrived they asked who was in charge and Chattergoon said that he was.

They then told him that they suspected that cocaine was on the premises, Bridgelall said. He added that they (he, Persaud and Khan) said they didn’t know about that and they had just come to buy glue. He said that the officers asked Chattergoon for the keys and he produced them from his pockets. Bridgelall later testified that boxes were seized but they did not belong to him and that was the first time he had seen them. He said that they were in a locked area and Chattergoon produced the keys for that area from his pocket.

The officers, he said, also took some fish glue from the yard but it was not fully dried. He informed the court that it would take about two days for the glue to be fully dried. Bridgelall added that if there was something inside the glue one would know and something like that wouldn’t pass at the airport. The case was adjourned and it continued on Friday with CANU’s prosecutor Oswald Massiah cross-examining Bridgelall.

Attorneys-at-law Mark Waldron, Euclin Gomes and Vic Puran were present in court for the trio.

Under cross-examination, Bridgelall said that before he rented the house he and the landlord, Naresh Shivdayal visited the house.

He said that it was empty and there was no fish glue or any mesh for drying fish in the yard. He later said that after he had paid the rent neither he nor Shivdayal wrote anything in relation to that transaction. Bridgelall said that he cannot recall Shivdayal telling the court that he (Bridgelall) wrote the transaction down in a black book.

According to him, he did ask Shivdayal if he had a problem subletting and the man said no as all he was concerned about was getting his rent.

Asked if he knew Chattergoon, Bridgelall said in excess of five years and he would see him periodically when he came from sea. He said that Chattergoon wanted to rent the house in Enterprise to do fish glue and shark fin business.

The matter continues on October 12 when Massiah will continue his cross-examination of Bridgelall.

On May 17 Chattergoon, called Percy, 27, of 185 Charlotte Street, Enterprise, East Coast Demerara and the trio appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on joint charges.

He pleaded guilty and Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle, before whom they appeared that day, sentenced him to four years on each count and remanded the trio to prison after turning down bail applications by their lawyers.

Reports are that around 12:30 pm on May 16 Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) ranks went to a home at Charlotte Street, Enterprise. During a search of the property 86.5 kgs of cocaine and an additional 20 kgs of cocaine were found concealed in fish glue.

The CANU ranks also seized a quantity of scissors, rolling pins, knives, a gas cylinder and stove and the mesh on which the fish was placed to dry.

The three defendants and Chattergoon who were in the house when the officers arrived were arrested and they made a court appearance the following day.

Following the closing of the prosecution’s case on August 17, the magistrate released Persaud and Khan on $700,000 bail in cash or surety following renewed bail applications by their lawyers.

Bridgelall who is alleged to be the person who rented the house where the bust occurred remains incarcerated.

Five witnesses, including the landlord of the house and CANU officers, make up the prosecution’s case against the trio.