The three men held over the concealment of 359.8 kilogrammes of cocaine in hollowed-out logs have been released from custody as law enforcement agencies were unprepared up to yesterday to lay charges against them.
Three men—a Dutch national and two Guyanese—had been held as suspects on Tuesday when anti-narcotics agents seized the drugs, in what is the second largest cocaine bust in Guyana’s history.
The Dutch national was released on Thursday night after his lawyer filed Habeas Corpus proceedings in the High Court, while the other two were released yesterday. His lawyer said he was traumatised by the ordeal.
A source close to the investigation said that the men were released because the 72 hours permitted by law to hold them without charge had elapsed. The source said the investigation into the discovery continues.
It was pointed out to Stabroek News that there were more than 15 persons at the Lot 80 Public Road, Soesdyke address of Guyana Timber Products Inc. when the cocaine was uncovered on Tuesday. Based on what this newspaper was told, it has been difficult for investigators to single out anyone.
The source said too that the investigations involved collaboration among the Guyana Forestry Commission, Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) and Guyana Revenue Authority (Customs). According to the source it would have been unwise to keep the trio in police custody beyond the stipulated time since that could have jeopardised the investigation.
The source said investigators want to ensure that a proper investigation is conducted.
Meanwhile, attorney Sandil Kissoon, who represented the Dutch national, confirmed the man’s release, while noting that when the container was taken to the wharf, his client, who is the International Marketing Director for Guyana Timber Products Inc. was not in the country.
Kissoon told Stabroek News that he filed Habeas Corpus proceedings on Tuesday on behalf of his client. He said the matter was heard by acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, who made an order granting CANU up to 72 hours to hold the man. He said that according to the order, his client was to be released on or before 1 pm on Friday, unless he was charged.
He said that the man, who lives in the Netherlands, was released on Thursday night on his own recognisance. According to the lawyer, he is required to present himself to the investigators on Monday.
Speaking about the circumstances surrounding the discovery, Kissoon said his client arrived in Guyana on January 30, days after the container was transported to the wharf.
He stated that the accumulation of staff at all of the company’s locations was in excess of 120 persons including managers, directors and supervisors all of whom conduct duties related to the day-to-day operations of the company.
Kissoon told Stabroek News that his client is based in the Netherlands and would make occasional visits here. He explained that his client is responsible for sales in Europe “so he does not deal with the daily affairs of the company.”
Traumatised
The attorney said that the entire episode has left his client traumatised but determined to fight for the company’s image.
Kissoon said, “He was at the office in Bel Air when the search was conducted…”. He said he was picked up from his office and taken to CANU headquarters before being escorted to Soesdyke.
“He fully intends to stay until the investigation is finished,” Kissoon said, while adding that it is his client’s intention to remain here to clear the company’s name.
Questions have been raised about the circumstances leading up to the discovery.
A security source yesterday pointed out that a lot of thought went into concealment of the drugs, given where the logs were stored. The source said it was hard to believe that there isn’t a paper trail leading to persons who have a high probability of being involved, or even the masterminds.
Based on the information received by Stabroek News, the Dutch-owned company has been on the radar of anti-narcotics officials for some time now, following a previous discovery. Stabroek News was told that the relevant
officials had been put on alert to pay special attention to anything being shipped under the company’s name.
CANU ranks only became aware that there were things wrong with the container on Tuesday. The container was escorted from the wharf to the Soesdyke address where each log in the container was searched.
The hollow logs were subsequently found with packets of cocaine concealed inside. As many as 20 packets were found in a single log. A total of 314 packets of cocaine were found.
The drugs were destined for Holland, where the value is estimated at approximately US$25,000 ($5 million) per kilogramme.
Commissioner General of the GRA Khurshid Sattaur, in a bid to explain the delay in the search of the container, had said that this was to ensure the proper procedure was followed for the examination. Based on his explanation, in keeping with protocol, a container cannot be opened and searched unless the shipper is present.
