A team of anti-narcotics agents led by the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday morning unearthed some 50 kilogrammes (110lbs) of compressed marijuana stashed in a quantity of pumpkins destined for Barbados.
Reports are that around 11.30 am yesterday, the anti-narcotics agents discovered the drugs inside the vegetables in several rice bags in a refrigerated container at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) wharf. Soon after the discovery was made, the police and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) proceeded to investigate the matter including a manhunt for the exporter.
The drugs have a street value of US$100,000 ($20 million).
The authorities had placed the suspect under surveillance some two months ago, a GRA source stated. Reports are that the man was the recipient of some 50 empty metal drums which arrived here aboard a small vessel from Jamaica. Suspicions grew, the source said, since the vessel which brought the drums was viewed as a “runnings boat”, and the man was being “watched” ever since.
The source said that some time last week, the exporter decided to export the quantity of items—including pumpkins, pineapples and eddoes—to Barbados, in a 20-foot refrigerated container. According to the source, when the man was identified as being responsible for the container, it was immediately place under the microscope.
The shipment was headed for a trading company whose address the exporter provided as being based in St Michael, Barbados while the man provided a local address at East Street, South Cummingsburg in the city to the authorities.
On Friday last the container was placed in the custody of the DEU and officials carried out a paper trail on the items, while the anti-narcotics officials decided to open the container yesterday, along with sniffer dogs, to inspect its contents.
The exporter failed to show up for the inspection as is required and the anti-narcotics agents subsequently undertook the operation within the presence of the shipping agent.
The drugs were stashed in the pumpkins. The vegetables had neatly cut holes at the stems through which the illicit substance was stuffed.
A search has since been launched for the first-time exporter who is attached to the local cycling fraternity, a source said.
