Investigations into the 4.4 tonne cocaine find at Matthew’s Ridge in Region One are ongoing, with Guyana’s Customs Anti Narcotics Unit now receiving additional international support with the investigations.
News Source has learnt that CANU has been in contact with its partners across the region and internationally as investigators are convinced that Guyana was just being used as a transshipment point for the US$200 Million worth of cocaine.
The cocaine was destroyed by CANU and the GDF Special Forces after samples were taken for investigation and prosecution purposes. While a number of persons in the area were questioned, there have been no arrests.
The cocaine was found buried in several bunker-type pits close to an illegal airstrip and covered with wood and branches. CANU and the GDF Special Forces were conducting an operation against illegal airstrips when they stumbled upon the pits of cocaine.
CANU investigators believe the cocaine was flown into Guyana under the cloak of darkness in the remote jungle area from one of the neighbouring countries, and hidden for later removal to another destination.
Director of CANU, James Singh, who was on scene at the site on Sunday said it appears as though the large parcels of cocaine might have been flown into the area and buried over several days.
“The Officers when they came in, they spent several days here combing the area, and they knew as we shared information with our colleagues in the DEA, if its not above ground, it is hidden underground and we discovered these pits, dug by hand and camouflaged, to protect from the elements and anyone stumbling on it, and again for further transshipment”, he said.
The pits where the cocaine parcels were buried were estimated to be five to six feet deep. CANU suspects that persons in the remote area might have assisted. Abandoned camps were also located close by along with fuel.
In the past few years, a number of illegal airstrips have been found in Guyana’s interior region, especially in areas close to the borders with Venezuela and Brazil. Those discoveries have triggered various operations by the security forces.
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