SOME 1000 boxes of smuggled chicken was on Thursday seized by the
Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) as it was making its way across the City in a 14- foot container.

The container with its contents and the truck which was rented to tow the container have all been seized by the GRA and arrests have been made.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that a popular City businessman rented the truck for two days at a cost of $90,000 to a man who claimed he resides at Kuru Kuru on the Linden Soesdyke Highway.

That man has been identified as George Calario, who according to the company from which he rented the truck, would have also rented trucks in the past, at least on two other occasions.

A representative of the company confirmed that while the truck which towed the container might have the company’s logo, the contents inside the container and the incidents surrounding the seizure of the truck and the container have nothing to do with that company.

The company representative also stated that on two previous occasions the truck was rented, the man claimed that he needed the truck to provide services in Linden and on the other occasion, Berbice, both on a return basis.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that now that the truck is off the road and in the custody of the GRA, the man who rented same may likely have to pay the company for the days the vehicle will be laid up and off the road.

It is unclear at this point how soon the enforcement body will discard of the smuggled chicken. In normal circumstances, seized items are usually reissued to the Georgetown Public Hospital, Guyana Defence Force and the Prison Service.

In recent weeks the GRA has been stepping up its anti-smuggling campaign. Just last month officers seized a quantity of illegal beverage which mysteriously left its Berbice warehouse and was on its way to an unknown West Demerara location.

The information was shared with personnel inside the GRA and that operation was thwarted and an investigation commenced. The GRA is awaiting the assistance of the police in complying with an order to hand over the SWAT boss to them so that he can be questioned in relation to the matter before the file is sent to the DPP for advice.