Alleged chicken smuggler shot by GRA officers at Enmore Seawall

An alleged chicken smuggler, 36-year-old Naresh Ramjattan from Greenfield, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was shot and injured by officers attached to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the Enmore Seawall on Saturday evening.
Based on reports received, Ramjattan was on a boat when he heard loud explosions and realised that he had been shot in the leg and shoulder.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation as three GRA enforcement officers have provided written statements and undergone gunshot residue tests.
Ramjattan remains hospitalised in a stable condition, nursing two gunshot wounds.
However, another man Ganesh Ramcharran also known as ‘Brian,’ 22, a porter from Bee Hive was arrested after he was found hiding in a clump of bushes along the Enmore seawall on Sunday.
Upon his arrest, he claimed that he was there to catch crabs but later confessed that he was hired by individuals from Bee Hive to transport chicken from a boat to several buses.
This incident follows a similar operation two months ago, where GRA officers seized a large quantity of foreign chicken parts and uncustomed alcoholic beverages on the ECD.
During that operation, contraband, minibuses, and a large wooden boat were seized, and four individuals were arrested.
The GRA has urged the public to refrain from smuggling activities, highlighting that it deprives legitimate businesses and the government of revenue.
According to Section 218 of the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01, “smuggling is illegal, and anyone who attempts to import or export goods with intent to defraud the Revenue Authority of any duties is guilty of an offense and is liable for fines and/or imprisonment.”