Timber cocaine bust
Several firms shipped during period -police
-caution against speculation
Stabroek News
June 28, 2003
The Guyana Police yesterday released names of some companies under whose names, lumber to the United Kingdom was shipped via several ocean going vessels including the EWL West Indies, EWL Venezuela and the EWL Antilles.
The release of the names comes in the wake of continuing investigations into the discovery of 120 kg of cocaine in a container of wood at the United Kingdom port of Felixstowe on May 29. UK authorities and those here are still unable to say in which shipment the cocaine was found. There have been calls locally for the government to provide more information on details related to the shipment.
Informed sources have told Stabroek News that the consignment of timber left here on April 29 in two containers - one sealed and one flat-rack on the EWL Venezuela. The EWL Venezuela arrived in the United Kingdom on May 19.
The consignment was apparently kept under surveillance until it was collected on May 29 for shipment to Wales.
Unless they stop at ports en route, the journey to the United Kingdom by sea takes three weeks.
A release from the Police last evening said that information about the companies was as a result of their investigations “based on the limited information they received from the competent authority in the United Kingdom” which they had contacted.
According to HM Customs in the United Kingdom the shipment of timber in which the 120 kilogrammes of cocaine was discovered, was interdicted on May 29 and tracked to South Wales where a combined team from the Customs, Gwent Police and officers from the National Crime Squad arrested seven persons, who have since been charged and remanded without bail by the Caerphilly Magistrate’s Court. Their next court appearance is on July 14.
The release said, “The United Kingdom authorities, however, have indicated that they are in the process of compiling the evidence and report arising out of the investigation, after which they will formally request the assistance of the Government of Guyana and more specifically the Guyana Police Force in pursuing further investigations into the matter”.
The release said, “That request has not yet been made.”
It said too that the United Kingdom authorities “expressly requested that information gathered so far remains confidential so as not to compromise further investigations that are likely to be conducted in this matter.”
The police said that as they have done in the past “we are willing to collaborate with the United Kingdom and any other Law Enforcement Authority to ensure that the perpetrators are properly identified and brought to justice.”
The release said in addition to the United Kingdom authorities, the police have been in touch with other law enforcement agencies in the region. The police advise “that speculative journalism and rumour-mongering will be unhelpful at this time in the investigation.”
