Heightened security checks credited for cocaine in ochro bust

Aug 15, 2013 News

Management of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri has lauded the agencies involved in the latest drug bust at the facility, which resulted in the seizure of 15.055 kilos of cocaine.
In a press statement issued yesterday, the Corporation said that the bust was successful due to heightened security checks, enhanced profiling techniques, greater intelligence gathering and sharing, and an increased presence of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras.

The recovered cocaine which was stuffed in ochroes.

At around 15:00hrs on Monday last, security officials, including ranks attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), unearthed the cocaine stuffed in vegetables which were packed in boxes destined for a Bronx, New York address.
Kaieteur News understands that after security officials at the airport observed the shipper acting in a suspicious manner, a decision was taken to inspect the cargo. Upon closer examination, the ranks stumbled upon boxes of ochroes.
They reportedly cut open several of these and discovered the drugs packed neatly in one of the vegetables.
This encouraged them to continue cutting open the hundreds of ochroes and sure enough, more cocaine was discovered.
Kaieteur News understands that there were a few cocaine stuffed ochroes in close to about 100 boxes.
According to the CJIA statement, the perpetrators cut the heads off the ochroes, removed the seeds, placed the illegal substance inside, and then glued the heads back on.
The shipper, who bore witness to the police operations, was promptly arrested. He claimed that it was the first time he was making such a shipment. The man appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Monday’s discovery came less than two weeks after a bag containing more than 20 pounds of cocaine was discovered at the airport.
Cocaine stuffed ochroes are just another ingenious way that Guyanese have been using to traffic the South American-produced drugs to North America and other destinations such as Europe and Asia.
Cocaine has also been discovered in other vegetables, pepper sauce, polourie, ornaments, and even lumber for export.
As if these aren’t bizarre enough, two Guyanese women were also busted in September of last year at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, when security officials found cocaine sewn into their hair weaves.
Nonetheless, the CJIA said that despite the craftiness of these individuals, the security team will continue to work alongside Government security agencies to crack down on the illegal drug trade.