Law enforcers still in dark on molasses cocaine find
Stabroek News
July 21, 2004
Local law enforcement officials say they are still awaiting official word from Dutch police on the discovery of a huge amount of cocaine in molasses from Guyana at the Port of Rotterdam last month.
In the meanwhile, questions have been raised about a shipment of molasses from Guysuco's Uitvlugt estate which could fit the description of the Rotterdam seizure.
Guysuco's marketing executive, Nisa Surujbally yesterday confirmed that 10 tonnes of organic molasses from the Uitvlugt Estate was sold earlier this year to an Englishman for him to experiment on animal feed for cattle.
However, Surujbally could not say whether it was this shipment from which Dutch customs officers seized 693 kilogrammes of cocaine worth US$38M ($7.6B). The cocaine was seized on June 22.
Officials at the Port of Rotterdam had reported that they found the drugs inside a container of steel drums filled with molasses after a sniffer dog raised an alarm. International news reports stated that the container originated in Guyana and was destined for the United Kingdom. The Dutch finance ministry had said the bust was kept secret so as to enable further investigations and two people have since been arrested in London.
When contacted yesterday Surujbally told this newspaper that it was an ex-factory sale and the drums (she was not certain if they were plastic or steel) were not sealed as the Customs Department had to verify that it was molasses that was being exported.
A senior police officer told this newspaper that since the matter has been reported in the media the force has attempted to get information from their counterparts in the Netherlands but without success.
Stabroek News contacted the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) but officials there were not in a position to say anything.
Surujbally said that the said purchaser bought organic molasses from Guysuco last year as well. However, to date, no one from any law enforcement agency has contacted Guysuco on the issue but the corporation is putting together whatever information it has.
Guysuco exports molasses in steel drums to the smaller islands but in bulk to the UK. The corporation treats sales below 10 tonnes as local sales.
British police arrested the two men in London on June 29 in connection with the shipment. No arrests were reported in the Netherlands.
The molasses bust was the latest in a series involving shipments from Guyana.