Materials suspected to have been used in the processing of narcotics were discovered in a bin outside the property belonging to accused drug traffickers Tazim and Nazim Gafoor, the Leonora Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday.
Tazim, 4, and his son, Nazim, 21, are currently on trial alongside Stephen Vieira, 34, and Sherwayne De Abreu, 36, for the alleged trafficking of $550 million in cocaine, which was discovered stashed in lumber on May 12th, 2017.
Testifying yesterday was a Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) officer who told the court that that on May 12th, he along with other CANU officers travelled to Lot ‘F’ New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, where he met Nazim Gafoor.
He explained that he and another officer conducted a search of the premises in the presence of the junior Gafoor. A similar search, he said, was carried out on a garbage bin positioned in front of the property, in which they discovered a black plastic garbage bag. Inside the bag, he said, they found several items, including four plastic bowls, two plastic food processor mugs, two stainless pot spoons and a whitish piece of cloth.
It was after this discovery that the officer related to Nazim that he suspected that the items were previously used for the processing of narcotics.
“He said to me, ‘Officer, I don’t know about anything in that bag,’” the CANU officer said before explaining that the items were taken into custody along with Nazim Gafoor, who had been cautioned but chose to remain silent.
It was also noted that the items were tagged and lodged at CANU Headquarters, where they stayed until May 29th, when they were taken to the National Forensic Lab for analysis.
The case is scheduled to continue today before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool.
On May 12th, 2017, CANU conducted a raid and found the drugs concealed in dressed lumber.
The cocaine, which carries a street value of over $550 million, was reportedly stashed in lumber at a sawmill at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo, which belonged to Narine Lall, for whom an arrest warrant has been issued.
