…one jailed, two escape from police custody
Eric Mootoo, of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for knowingly dealing with goods to defraud the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
And arrest warrants have been issued for Boodram and Mangal Outar who escaped from police custody while being held on similar charges.
Magistrate Nigel Hawke of the Blairmont Court issued the warrants and sentenced Mootoo to two years imprisonment.
Mootoo and Boodram are from Cotton Tree Village, and Outar is from No. 2 Beach Dam, West Coast Berbice.
Last Friday, the GRA seized a vessel at the No. 7 Village Beach, WCB, containing uncustomed goods valued at $2M.
According to a GRA statement, its Law Enforcement and Investigations Division confiscated goods which included: 198 boxes of chicken weighing 40 pounds, 20 cases of Milo, 68 boxes of soap and 29 boxes of poison: Glyphosate (weedicide) and Alpha Cypermathrin (pesticide).
The statement from GRA said items seized were in the possession of Boodram, Outar and Mootoo.

“When intercepted, they were unable to produce any documentation proving legal importation for the said items. This was in contravention of section 218 (d) of the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01.”
The matter is being prosecuted by Mr. Robyn Benn, Legal Officer and Senior Manager (ag) of GRA’s Law Enforcement and Investigations Division.