Two Berbice smugglers are on the run and another jailed for two years following the seizure of a vessel last Friday at the Number 7 Village beach.
According to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), almost $2M in goods was seized by the agency’s Law Enforcement and Investigations Division.
On the vessel, the official found a quantity of uncustomed goods including 198 boxes of chicken— each weighing 40 pounds— 20 cases of Milo, 68 boxes of soap and 29 boxes of poison— Glyphosate (weedicide) and Alpha Cypermathrin (pesticide).
According to GRA, the items seized were in the possession of Eric Mootoo of Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice; Boodram, also of Cotton Tree Village, and Mangal Outar of No. 2 Beach Dam, West Coast Berbice.
“When intercepted, they were unable to produce any documentation proving legal importation for the said items. This was in contravention of section 218 (d) of the Customs Act, Cap. 82:01,” GRA disclosed in its statement.
Two of the men, Boodram and Outar, however, escaped lawful custody.
Yesterday, at the Blairmont Magistrates Court, West Coast Berbice, Magistrate Nigel Hawke issued arrest warrants for the two escapees.
Mootoo, however, pleaded guilty to the charge of knowingly dealing with any goods with intent to defraud the GRA of any duties and was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
The matter comes up again on June 24 at the Fort Wellington Magistrates Court, West Coast Berbice.
The matter was prosecuted by Roby Benn, Legal Officer and Senior Manager (ag), Law Enforcement and Investigations Division, GRA, the release said.
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