Latest update April 4th, 2025 12:14 AM
Businessman remanded in the ‘cocaine in lumber’ case
Appearing yesterday before Magistrate Alan Wilson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court was a deportee now businessman, Keith King, of Lot 12 Bel Air Avenue, Lamaha Springs.
The defendant was yesterday charged with possession of an illicit drug for the purpose of trafficking between January 25 to February 20, last.
Keith King
Bail was refused and the defendant was remanded until May 7, and ordered to report to the Providence Magistrate’s court.
At an established sawmill at Soesdyke/Linden Highway Junction, units of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, the police and the Guyana Forestry Commission, reportedly found some 360 kilograms of cocaine in “Lumber boxes.”
It was noted that the narcotics were scheduled to be shipped to the Netherlands (Holland) through Guyana Timber Products Inc. investigations were allegedly started by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) which became suspicious due to the company’s continuous disregard to comply with established policies. As a result of other investigations into a container containing the drugs, about seven other shipments were detained and taken back to the sawmill compound where they were scrutinized and the neatly packed packages containing the drugs were discovered.
The multimillion-dollar bust led to several suspects being detained, among them a Dutch National, Edgar Boesenach, whose local address is listed as Coralita Avenue, Bel Air, Georgetown; Ousmond Ghanie, called Raymond of Lot 48 South De Kenderen, West Coast Demerara; and Dominic Walsh, of Lot 1 Soesdyke/Linden Highway. Keith King was the last among the suspects to be arrested.
In court, it was alleged that King procured Ramnauth Ragoo to transport six pieces of lumber from Grove, East Bank Demerara to Soesdyke. The pieces were found to contain packets of cocaine.
Attorney At Law, Joel Hanoman, who represented King, presented his special reasons to the court in order to secure bail for his client. He told the court that the defendant is the owner of two businesses, K&P Pawnshop and K&P Boutique, both located on Alexander Street, Kitty.
He added that when his client was arrested in March, he was released on his own recognizance and has been upholding the conditions of the Police to report to them as agreed. The lawyer stated that there isn’t enough evidence to even charge his client but that officials probably felt pressured and consequently instituted the charge.
Prosecutor Oswald Massiah then argued that the lawyer did not present any special reasons but rather general information which certainly would not warrant the granting of bail in such a case.
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