COME July 13, the trial will commence against four men jointly charged in connection with the $550 million worth of cocaine found in lumber at a sawmill in Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo in May.
The men are: motor racer, Stephen Vieira, 33, of Middle & Cummings Street, Georgetown; Nezim Gafoor, 20, and businessman Tazim Gafoor, 49, both of Menzies Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, and Drug Enforcement Officer attached to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Sherwayne DeAbreu,32 of Section ‘A’ Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
The matter was first called on May 31, 2017, before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court and the men denied the charge. Particulars of the charge alleged that between March 1, 2017 and May 12, 2017 at Narine Lall Enterprise Sawmill at Zeelugt, they aided Hakim Mohammed to traffic 84.986 kilograms of cocaine.
Attorney Latchmi Rahamat represented Vieira, Attorney Stanly Moore represented Nezim Gafoor, and Attorney Everton Singh-Lammy represented Tazim Gafoor, while Attorney Mark Conway represented DeAbreu.
When the matter was called on Monday (June 12), Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officer, Konyo Sandiford served statements to the defendants in court and further disclosures will be served on June 16. The four accused were further remanded.
The Prosecutor further noted that investigation is completed in the matter and a total of 15 witnesses will testify on behalf of CANU. Additionally, investigators have three months’ worth of surveillance footage on the four accused along with evidence by Hakim Mohammed who cooperated with CANU.
CANU had focused attention on the suspects following the discovery of some 84.986 kilograms (187 pounds) of cocaine worth $550M in lumber at the Lot 227 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo premises of Mohamed on May 12. The bust was made just as the lumber was being packed into a truck. CANU ranks had searched a truck laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber boards prepared for export. Several pieces of boards were drilled randomly by the ranks and revealed a whitish substance.
The lumber was packed at a sawmill located at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo belonging to Narine Lall, to be transported to a wharf in Georgetown and then shipped to the United States of America. Vieira was listed on the shipping documents as a representative of the shipper, Narine Lall. He has been charged separately in absentia with trafficking in narcotics.