Almost four years after 376 kilogrammes of cocaine stashed in boxes of pepper sauce were found in Canada, authorities here are yet to lay charges and CANU head James Singh blames the Canadians for this, saying that a request for information was ignored.
At least five persons have been identified as having possible links to the drugs which were intercepted in two parts in December 2008. At least two persons made themselves available for questioning but were later released.
Since then, there had been growing concern over how drugs intercepted overseas which have been traced back to Guyana are investigated. In the pepper sauce-cocaine case some believe that very little effort is being made with the investigation because of who it might be traced back to, while others say the authorities here are not equipped with the requisite skills or expertise to deal with the matter.
When contacted and asked about the local end of the investigation, Singh indicated that the Canadian authorities had not provided any information that could lead to the arrest or charge of any local player. Asked if the authorities in that country were engaged, Singh told Stabroek News that a request was made through the Ministry of Home Affairs, but to date the agency has not received any information to aid in its investigation.
“Unless we receive new information we cannot go forward in our investigation and so far nothing has been forthcoming,” he stressed.
In an invited comment on the issue, Alliance for Change (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan said he absolutely believes this a clear case of the government not wanting to investigate because of who is involved.
In response, to the prior attempts by former president Bharrat Jagdeo to link his party to the cocaine, a fiery Ramjattan said that it was all just a plot to tarnish AFC’s image. “This is how they wickedly try to tarnish you,” he said, adding that there have been no charges in the case locally because of who is involved in these things” and they gon come and tell you that AFC was involved.”
Jagdeo, while speaking at the 12th death anniversary of president of Guyana and leader of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Cheddi Jagan, held at the Babu John Crematorium at Port Mourant, Corentyne in March 2009, had asserted that someone implicated in a “cocaine in pepper sauce” bust was a major financier of the AFC.
Jagdeo had stated: “One of the pepper-sauce men that get caught with drug-dealing was a major funder of that party too. They love to accuse the PPP but go quiet sometimes; they have a lot of skeletons in their cupboard.”
Then party leader Raphael Trotman had condemned the statement saying that it was an attempt to divert attention from the Clico (Guyana) fiasco. He had told reporters that the AFC has been “on target” regarding corruption and the Clico issue and the implications which that would have for thousands of persons. Trotman stated that AFC viewed the remarks as an attempt to divert their attention from exposing what is going on at Clico (Guyana). He then declared that the party will not be distracted. On December 8, officers found 276 kilos of high-quality cocaine at the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick, aboard a ship, Tropic Canada.
The Toronto Star reported investigators as saying that the vessel in New Brunswick was confirmed to have been carrying 77-79 per cent pure cocaine, which was found inside the cardboard dividers of boxes of hot sauce. They removed all but two kilos of the cocaine and performed a controlled delivery of the container to its original destination in Etobicoke, Ontario. It was received by the owner of the company, Mahendrapaul Doodnauth, who unloaded the boxes at a rented storage facility on Rexdale Boulevard in Toronto. As a result, Doodnauth, of Toronto, was charged with importing cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
A second major drug shipment was traced back to Guyana after US federal agents on December 24 seized 100 kilos of cocaine found inside pepper sauce cartons aboard a ship in St Croix, US Virgin Islands. The US agents had been tipped off by Canada.
Then on the heels of two major pepper sauce busts, customs authorities at the Port of Miami, on December 29 acting on a tip off unearthed 373 pounds of cocaine hidden in furniture aboard a vessel, whose last stop was in Georgetown.
Back then CANU sources had told this newspaper that both investigations were making headway as a significant amount of information had been exchanged with Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police. CANU, the sources had said, was preparing to reel in more suspects. One of the suspects that CANU issued a bulletin for, Indarpaul Doodnauth made himself available to the agency for questioning. Doodnauth, an East Coast Demerara-based businessman is the brother of Mahendrapaul Doodnauth, the man held by Canadian authorities in connection with both shipments of the pepper sauce cocaine.
Several years later Indarpaul Doodnauth was again the suspect in an investigation after a huge amount of cocaine was found in Hindu religious statues in an Enmore house. After questioning he was released. Several persons are before the court in relation to that matter.
Another man sought by CANU back then in the pepper sauce investigation, Reginald Rodrigues, who was thought to be the shipper of the pepper consignment went underground after the bust became public and was able to evade an attempt to arrest him here. Almost two months later he surrendered and after being questioned he too was released.
Orlando Watson was also a third suspect who was thought to be connected to the second shipment. CANU sources had said that they identified two other businessmen who might have participated in the pepper sauce cocaine shipment.
Based on the information out of CANU the pepper sauce shipments were financed by a coterie of shady characters and persons with criminal antecedents who were looking to make a whopping profit from their Christmas operation.
In-depth investigation
Meanwhile, a security source told this newspaper that an in-depth investigation is needed if the perpetrators are to be hauled in and charges laid.
It was explained that in the case of the pepper sauce cocaine probe, suspects could be charged with trafficking or conspiracy. If the foreign country is willing to share the exhibits with Guyana, the suspect can be charged with trafficking, the source said, adding that the paper trail can be discovered to determine the level of participation of those known and unknown.
While pointing out that all the facts were not available, the source stated that there would have to be a “paper trail” leading to suspects involved in the operation.
It was noted that there may be a lack of will to prosecute persons because “of who they are”. Speaking from experience, the source noted that there is a number of things that can be done locally to trace the parties involved and prosecute them.
“Who packed, who carried, who shipped?” the source stressed, are questions that ought to be answered. The source explained that Guyana has to show that there is a case to prosecute and once that is done, the country where the cocaine was intercepted will help.
Years ago, the source said, there were cases where individual persons were caught with cocaine on their person. The United States was able to bring down an entire network. “You have to show these people that you are serious. That you really got something going and they will help you”.
This newspaper was also told that CANU is the investigating body at the local end when drugs are intercepted overseas. The source explained that police can only become involved if CANU invites them.
