The Essequibo supplier of the rice flagged by the army, due to the presence of a “strange substance,” is doing an internal investigation but believes the suspect addition was actually a harmless gas tablet.
On Saturday, the Guyana Defence Force announced that it had called in police to investigate the presence of the substance, which it suspected to be “powered carbon,” after it was uncovered in a paper bag in a sealed bag of rice.
Ramesh Ramlakhan, who operates the mill at Exmouth, Essequibo Coast, which sourced the rice, told Stabroek News that he had been informed of the discovery.
“…We are still doing internal investigations into the matter. As soon as we have positive information we will release our findings,” he said, before suggesting that the substance was actually a gas tablet.
“The substance is used on all rice leaving Guyana in containers or vessels and after five days, it is not harmful for the consumption of humans…. The gas tablets are placed around the rice bags and they are used to fumigate the rice, since we do not want to sell rice with infestations,” he added.
Ramlakhan also stated that the gas tablets leave a powdery substance. “…Again, I say it is not harmful to humans since the tablets are placed in paper bags and around the rice containers instead of in the bags.
So the gas tablets were to be placed around the bags to fumigate the rice and avoid infestation on the rice. People who do not know about the various procedures and the processes that we use will always say that it is a poisonous substance. We are conducting investigations and some tests are being done on the substance,” he further said.
Meanwhile, Crime Chief Leslie James said yesterday that investigators are still interviewing persons as part of the probe but there has been no arrest.
Asked whether police had determined what the substance is, he maintained that it is still being investigated.
The army had said that at approximately 6.30 am last Saturday, a sealed bag of rice was opened by ration store personnel for rice to be distributed to various kitchens at Base Camp Stephenson.
While dipping the rice out, “two ranks observed a brown paper bag which they inadvertently tore as they dipped the rice. Inside the paper bag, was a substance suspected to be powered carbon.”
The army said the presence of the substance appeared to be an isolated incident as there had been no other indication that there was any other rice bag or food item that was contaminated.
