CANU seeks int’l help on ‘wiped’ video recording

0M drug bust

The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) is currently seeking international assistance to recover a deleted video recording that was obtained from one of the suspects in the ongoing probe into the recent $550 million cocaine bust at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo.
CANU in a statement on Tuesday disclosed that while the suspects who were arrested in connection with the multimillion-dollar drug bust have been released from custody, the investigation is still incomplete. In fact, the country’s premier drug enforcement agency revealed, “CANU still has a Digital Video Recording device retrieved from Nazim Gafoor at Vreed-en-Hoop (WCD) that has been discovered to have been ‘wiped’ and as such CANU is now seeking international assistance in retrieving the data that may have been therein.” Following the May 12, 2017 bust, CANU ranks had initially arrested popular motorcar racer, Nazim Gafoor and Haleem Mohamed. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Gafoor’s father, Tazim, a West Coast Demerara businessman. However, they were released on Thursday last, but are required to visit CANU Headquarters on a daily basis pending the outcome of the investigations.Meanwhile, superbike racer Stephen Vieira was arrested last week, while investigators are still looking for sawmill owner Narine Lall, who is reportedly out of the jurisdiction. CANU is asking anyone with information of Lall’s whereabouts to make contact with the nearest Police station and/or CANU Headquarters on telephone number 226-0431.

Vieira was arrested on Thursday evening moments after stepping off a flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). CANU had previously reported that Vieira is listed on the shipping documents as the representative of Lall, who is the shipper of the consignment.
Guyana Times understands that the biker was in Jamaica for the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship, but upon learning of the ongoing investigation, the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club suspended his racing licence, thus making him ineligible to participate in the action.
Nevertheless, the superbike racer was released from custody on Monday and the arrest warrant that was issued for him last week was recalled by the Chief Magistrate the same day. Vieira, through his lawyer Latchmie Rahamat, provided a statement to investigators denying any culpability.
In addition, CANU said that the “suspected” girlfriend of the superbike racer was also taken in for questioning on Monday afternoon and subsequently released.
The drug enforcement agency pointed out that it has not instituted any charges against these suspects because it wants to have “enough evidence” to link the parties and the illicit substance in order to ensure a successful prosecution, rather than to rush and come up short in the courts.
Regardless, CANU still considers this recent bust, which unearthed 187 pounds of cocaine, a success since it was able to expose as well as put a dent in pockets of the financers of what it calls a “clandestine operation”.
Two Fridays ago, members of CANU swooped down on a lumber yard at Lot 227 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, where they conducted a search on a truck that was laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber that was being prepared for export to the United States.
During the search, several boards were reportedly drilled randomly and revealed a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine. The truck was subsequently escorted to CANU Headquarters where the lumber was further examined and proved that each of the compromised boards had a dugout cavity with vacuum sealed plastic packets containing cocaine pasted therein. The illicit substance amounted to a total of 84.986 kilograms and carried a street value of $550 million.
At the time, four workers at the lumber yard were taken into Police custody but were released on Monday last after it was established that they were only contracted to transport the lumber.