Investigators have encountered difficulties with the camera footage at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on the day 40 pounds of cocaine slipped by authorities.

While two men were seen delivering the suitcase to the female passenger they cannot be identified, according to Police Commissioner Henry Greene who also announced that the force will be acquiring new sniffer dogs.

“There are some difficulties with the camera footage,” Commissioner Greene said yesterday when questioned about the status of the investigation of the drug bust that took place at the JFK International Airport in New York early last month.

“They identify two males who took the suitcase to the airport…to the woman but beyond that we don’t have [anything] not even to identify them,” the commissioner said.

Asked whether investigations have so far implicated any of the personnel working at the airport, the commissioner said “as far on camera no person involved at the airport.”

On June 2, a woman, Chandinee Segobind, checked in a suitcase filled with cocaine packed in Kerry Gold milk packets, which was not detected by Timehri airport security, the police or CANU.

The suitcase filled with cocaine left the airport on a Delta flight and was intercepted at the John F Kennedy Airport.

Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) James Singh had told Stabroek News that investigators had identified a suspect but had refused to divulge any further information and pointed out that the investigation was a joint one between his unit and the police.

Meanwhile, Commis-sioner Greene when asked said that that force has plans to acquire two new sniffer dogs and two handlers sometime next year and they will be trained together.

However, Greene denied any knowledge of the existing sniffer dogs failing a routine drug test last month in the compound of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Stabroek News was reliably informed that following the 40-pound cocaine incident which followed the January 50-pound cocaine bust of a pink suitcase, the authorities conducted routine tests of the two sniffer dogs that have been on duty at the airport for a number of years.

The dogs had only pointed their handlers to someone who was transporting cocaine once over the years and the woman who had snorted cocaine that day had not washed her hands. These dogs failed the recent routine tests.

According to reports, the two dogs, Argon and Lacy, were involved in an exercise in the compound of the ministry’s compound when they failed to detect cocaine that was planted in the compound.

This newspaper was told that Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, top police personnel and officers from CANU were present during the exercise.

Sources had pointed out that the failure of the dogs to detect the cocaine means they may no longer be useful to the force and would have to be replaced.

“I know not what you speak of, you need to tell me some more,” Greene said and when told of the reported exercise in the compound of the ministry and when given more details he said: “Well you need to ask whoever informed you about that, that question.”

Pressed on the need for new dogs the commissioner said the force “acquires dogs all the time, if you check your records you would see we acquire dogs all the time.”

He said the force had bought four dogs in 2006, two were sniffer dogs and two tracker dogs, and one of the sniffer dogs died and only one remains.

“So in fact the recently trained dogs, 2006 only one is there and we talking four years ago so it is time now to buy now and continue the training,” the commissioner said.

The commissioner confirmed that there was only one case where the dog was successful in identifying someone with cocaine at the airport but he said “detecting out of a suitcase is not that easy, dogs work with smell and I think except there is a smell emanating from the bag or whatever, it is difficult for the dog to pick up the scent.
That is why sometimes they ask to open the bag and then smell because when you lock the bag the smell seldom comes out. So the dog works with smell and it is a touch and go.”