The Caerphilly Magistrates Court in Wales has set September 23 and 24 for the committal hearing for the seven men charged with importing the cocaine found in a consignment of timber exported to the United Kingdom. The cocaine discovered in the timber consignment was 120 kilos with a reported street value of 8 millions pounds sterling.

HM Customs in the United Kingdom has confirmed that the consignment of timber was one of six loaded on the “Envy Antilles” which sailed from Guyana on May 9 and arrived at Felixstowe in the United Kingdom on May 29. Officers of the HM Customs, the UK National Crime Squad and the Gwent Police tracked the timber consignment to an Industrial Estate in Newport, Wales, where the seven men were arrested on June 7

The seven are Leebert Barrows, Gerald Davies, Anthony Chambers, Michael Silcox, Milton Wilson, Joseph Salmon, and Mohamed Afzal Shaheen.

Meanwhile, the police are yet to be formally approached by the United Kingdom authorities for assistance with their investigations in Guyana. However, the police said that there have been unofficial approaches based on the relationship built up over the years, but expect that a formal approach should soon be forthcoming.