The local timber exporter whose name appears on the customs shipping bill for the consignment of timber in which the $1.9B cocaine stash was uncovered in the United Kingdom, has denied making the shipment.
The consignment left here on April 29 on the EWL Venezuela for the UK where it arrived on May 29. It was intercepted and tracked to its destination in South Wales where officers of the Customs and Excise Department, the National Crime Squad and the Gwent Police arrested seven persons on June 7. They appeared in Caerphilly Magistrate’s Court, Wales on June 9 and 16, and were remanded without bail. They are to appear again in court on July 14.
An official of the company in question told Stabroek News that his company had made no shipments to the United Kingdom after January when it shipped a load of lumber to be used as piles. The only other shipment was in December to the same importer.
The official also told Stabroek News that it had discontinued shipping sleepers to the United Kingdom because the price being paid was unattractive. He said too that having to comply with the regulations of the Forest Steward-ship Council (FSC) made the price even more unattractive. FSC regulations require exporters to provide documentary proof that the lumber being exported was sustainably harvested.
The United Kingdom’s Customs and Excise Depart-ment and National Crime Squad continue to refuse providing any further information than that contained in the press releases they issued last week. In those releases they named businessmen Lebert Barrows, a Jamaican, and Gerald Davies, transport manager Michael Silcox, hairdresser Anthony Chambers, civil servant Milton Wilson, business development manager Joseph Salmon and accountant Mohamed Afzal Shaheen as the persons and arrested and charged in connection with the 120 KG find.
The United Kingdom agencies have not contacted the local authorities here for assistance in their investigation. As a consequence neither the Police nor the Customs and Trade Administration has contacted the Guyana Forestry Commission or the management of the wharf from which the EWL Venezuela sailed for information. However, Stabroek News has been reliably informed that the management at the wharf has handed over the relevant documentation to the Customs and Trade Administration unsolicited.
Commissioner of Forests, James Singh, told Stabroek News that he could not positively identify the timber exporter unless he received the relevant information from the Customs or the police.
An official of the Forest Products Association told Stabroek News yesterday that the association was concerned about the issue and the lack of information about it. The official said that the FPA intended to issue a statement today in which it would suggest what should be done.
The official added that the FPA was concerned about the impact the incident would have on timber exports.
Already, another official told Stabroek News, stricter inspection by officers of the Customs and Trade Administration had led to increased handling costs and damage to their products.