The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit said it is still attempting to make contact with motorbike racer Stephen Viera and businessman Naraine Lall, in connection with the multi-million dollar drug bust at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo. Tazim Gafoor and his son Race car driver, Nazim Gafoor were taken into custody initially, along with a staff member of the Sawmill.
Gafoor and his son, race car driver Nazim Gafoor have since been released from custody and are required to report to CANU as the probe continues.
Canu is reporting that Viera is in Jamaica and he indicated to agents that he was coming into their office to clear his name.
Canu in a release stated, that its ranks conducted a search at the parapet in front of the premises of Akeem Mohamed, at 227 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo and a truck laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber boards prepared for export to the USA.
According to CANU, several boards were drilled randomly and revealed a whitish substance, suspected to be cocaine. The truck, its driver, and porters were escorted to CANU Head Quarters where a detailed search of the cargo was carried out.
The substance totaled 84.986 kilograms of cocaine, equalling a street value in excess of $550M.
It was revealed by CANU, that Vieira was listed on the shipping document as the representative of Naraine Lall the shipper. Naraine Lall, based on CANU’s investigations thus far, is allegedly out of the jurisdiction.
CANU said its investigation revealed that a truck was hired to pick up and transport the lumber from Lall’s Sawmill at Lookout East Bank Essequibo to the wharf at Georgetown.