CJIA 156-lb cocaine bust: Salon owner arrested; husband among 2 others wanted by CANU

Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officials have detained a prominent city salon owner while seeking her husband, Gavin Anthony McKie, and Tyrone Hamilton for questioning into the discovery of more than 100 pounds of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) earlier this week.
CANU stated, “Acting on information received, CANU officers went to an address at Republic Gardens, East Bank Demerara, where they contacted a lone female occupant. A search was conducted on the premises where traces of a suspected narcotic were found. Jessica McKie of the said address was escorted to CANU’s Headquarters and is assisting with the ongoing investigation.”
CANU agents were initially seeking Gavin McKie, named as a suspect in the recent multi-pound cocaine seizure at the CJIA.
CANU had issued a wanted bulletin for Gavin and Hamilton, whose last known addresses were Lot 295 Republic Park, Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and Lot 12 Public Road, Kitty, Georgetown, urging individuals with knowledge of their whereabouts to contact the agency.
Hamilton, identified as a businessman and retired national cyclist, is being sought for questioning regarding his alleged involvement in transporting the cocaine-laden bags to the airport.
Reports indicate that CANU agents stationed at the CJIA observed two suspects retrieving four duffle bags thrown over the airport fence by an unidentified male. Upon interception, a search of the duffle bags led to the discovery of 64 brick-like parcels suspected to contain cocaine.
The suspects, identified as 26-year-old Travis Sealey, a shift leader at New Timehri Handling Service (NTHS), and 20-year-old Koby Bakker, a ground security coordinator at Secure Innovations and Concepts (SIC), both residents of Timehri, EBD, were apprehended and escorted to CANU Headquarters, along with the suspected narcotics.
Subsequent testing confirmed the presence of cocaine. The parcels weighed approximately 71.2 kilograms with an estimated street value of $64,000,000 locally. CANU stated that the narcotics were intended for transport on a British Airways flight bound for St Lucia, with a subsequent connection to the United Kingdom. The potential street value of the seized narcotics, had they reached their intended destination, was estimated at over £3,000,000, equivalent to approximately G$679,000,000.
As investigations unfold, the detained woman remains in custody.