By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
The Director of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) has confirmed that the investigation into the massive cocaine bust at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) remains active and involves collaboration with international law enforcement agencies. Tiana Cole reports.
Weeks after a CJIA staff member was arrested for attempting to load 146.7 pounds of cocaine onto an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight, CANU Director James Singh confirmed that the probe is ongoing and now extends beyond Guyana’s borders.
Speaking on the sidelines of the National Early Warning System on Drugs launch, Singh said the case’s complexity stems from the fact that the drugs were discovered unattended, with no individual physically present at the time.
“Internally, we are working with the Guyana Police Force, the CJIA, as well as other stakeholders to determine not just who brought it in but the method of concealment,” Singh explained.
He added that international cooperation is crucial for determining the intended destination of the narcotics and identifying those on the receiving end of the operation.
“Because the evidence that we have here will be used in another territory if there is an opportunity to lay charges there,” Singh noted, emphasizing that investigators are ensuring all findings align across jurisdictions.
The CANU Director revealed that eight individuals from various agencies at the airport and elsewhere have so far been questioned in connection with the case.
“We have an idea who is behind this… the difference is that it’s intelligence,” Singh said, later adding, “We have an idea as to how the drugs got there.”
The September 20 bust uncovered 53 plastic-wrapped parcels of cocaine hidden at the bottom of a unit load device — a container used to transport cargo and luggage aboard aircraft.
Authorities continue to pursue leads both locally and internationally, as efforts intensify to dismantle what appears to be a well-organized transnational trafficking network.
