— says regional and int’l counterparts assisting to track down suspect
The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) is still actively pursuing wanted businessman Marlon Primo in connection with the massive Belguim drug bust after he had gone missing since last November.
Cocaine unearthed in the Belgium bustWanted: Marlon Primo
Speaking with the media on Thursday, CANU Head James Singh said regional and international counterparts are on the lookout for Primo, for whom a wanted bulletin has been issued locally. He urged the suspect to turn himself in to law enforcement and provide the necessary information needed.
“We’re still looking for him. We’ve gone above and beyond asking his family and asking anyone who knows his whereabouts if he is still alive, and (we’re) worried about his safety and security. (We advise him) to come in to us and we can hear what he has to say.
“Everyone is looking for him. They’re looking for him in Europe (and) across the region. A bust of that nature, we would want to know who is involved; so, he is a person that has that information,” Singh expressed.
In previous reports, CANU had notified that Primo is a resident of Lot 701 Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and of 69 Atlanticville. He is also the proprietor of MA Trading, located at 35 Factory Road, Paradise, ECD.
At the time in question, the Brussel Times had reported that Belgian authorities had intercepted a vessel that allegedly left Guyana in September with a whopping 11.5 tonnes of cocaine – the largest drug bust ever. It was reported that counter-narcotics prosecutors had tracked the transatlantic journey of the cocaine from Guyana, on the northeastern coast of South America, and had seized it upon its arrival at the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.
Federal prosecutors have told Belgian media that this is “the largest overseas drug bust ever worldwide” with an estimated street value of €900 million, or US$1.06 billion. The drugs were disguised as scrap metal and placed inside a steel container which was, in turn, packed into a sea container and loaded into a transatlantic vessel.
According to the report, prosecutors were able to track down the cocaine following the dismantlement of a drug trafficking gang led by a former Belgian counter-narcotics chief, a circumstance which revealed the existence of tight-knit links between criminal gangs and counter-narcotics and law enforcement officials.
The reports stated that three Police officers, a port manager and a lawyer were among some 20 other criminals arrested as part of an operation targeting the “well-structured” criminal organization, suspected of orchestrating large and “regular” drug shipments from South America to Belgium.
However, the record-breaking shipment was expected by law enforcement officials as it is suspected it left the port of Guyana after the drug gang’s arrest in Belgium, with drug gangs unable to intercept it once at sea, De Standaard reported.
Later, Singh had said investigations revealed that this huge quantity of the drug was imported to Guyana from another country, after which it was stockpiled and then loaded into the container, and ultimately onto the vessel which reportedly left Guyana in September.
In December, the Guyana Revenue Authority was able to identify within its network persons who were responsible for deleting images, dates and times from the container scanners.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Primo is asked to make contact with CANU Headquarters on 227-3507 or 226-0431. Two scrap metal dealers have already been arrested and questioned in relation to the shipment.
Jamaica bust
Meanwhile, in relation to the Jamaica drug bust last month, the CANU Head said there were some gaps identified within operation.
Narcotics Police in Jamaica had unearthed over 300lbs of cocaine in containers shipped from Guyana which contained rice and logs. Reports out of Jamaica stated that the illegal substance was found in the containers at the Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL).
According to reports, the drug was found in two of six trans-shipment containers that arrived on the island from Guyana. Jamaica Observer reported that while searching the containers, Police, accompanied by members of the Jamaica Customs Contraband Enforcement Team, found a total of 122 packages of the drug in the containers. They said each package was compressed with cocaine. When weighed, the quantity amounted to approximately 307 pounds and the estimated street value was given as US$6.59 million.
“In terms of Jamaica, we realise that there were some procedures that (needed) to be upgraded, and I can say openly that we had some lapses, which we have documented. We have submitted a report, and we hope that that will be implemented very soon,” Singh explained.
