Jamaican authorities yesterday found 100 lbs of cocaine on board a vessel travelling from Guyana with a cargo of fish.
Following suspicions, local anti-narcotics agents had searched the vessel here but were unable to find any drugs. They, however, tipped off the authorities in Jamaica and they were able to locate the drug stash.
The bust was made yesterday morning as the vessel, MV Helen E, docked at a port in Kingston. It was the latest in a string of vessels found with drugs by Jamaican authorities, after sailing from Guyana.
Three Guyanese nationals and four Jamaicans who were on board at the vessel at the time were being questioned yesterday in relation to the bust. It is suspected that the drugs were placed on the vessel on the high seas.
According to reports, the vessel, which is owned by a Jamaican with United States citizenship, arrived in Guyana a month ago and docked at the Muneshwer’s wharf on Water Street. It later moved to another wharf then subsequently the ‘Fertiliser wharf,’ from which it departed last Friday.
According to reports, the vessel which was on its first trip here, was being closely watched by the Drug Enforce-ment Unit (DEU) of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and sources told this newspaper yesterday that as the vessel prepared to depart last week, anti-narcotics agents at the DEU decided to carry out a search for illegal drugs.
The search was done on Wednesday and DEU officers decided to undertake another search the following day with assistance from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) using specialized equipment. The equipment was used to test the walls of the vessel for hollow sections.
Reports are that after the vessel departed for Jamaica, anti- narcotics agents inform-ed the Jamaican authorities of their suspicions about the operations of the vessel since the shipment of snapper was not feasible for any shipper over a week-long journey.
Reports are that the Jamaican anti-narcotics agencies were told not to inform sister bodies on the island, since there was a belief that there might have been collusion between the drug traffickers and unscrupulous law enforcement officials.
The vessel was tracked by the Jamaicans and as it entered the waters off the island, it was searched, leading to the discovery of the drugs. The exact quantity of the illicit substance was still being calculated and weighed yesterday.
Reports are that the local agent who handled the operations of the MV Helen E was also responsible for the operations of at least three vessels which were busted on arrival at Caribbean ports with illegal drugs.
A local source informed this newspaper yesterday that the mode of operations of drug traffickers has been consistent as regards drug busts made overseas. The source stated that vessels would be thoroughly searched before they depart here but they are busted prior to or on arrival at foreign ports. The source stated that smaller vessels are believed to be operating as transport vessels and illegal cargo is being loaded onto cargo vessels at sea.
