Latest update April 1st, 2025 5:37 PM
Death of accused halts $2 billion cocaine case
The sole person accused of attempting to traffic $ 2 billion GYD worth of cocaine in Fish food last year, is reportedly dead.
Information reaching this newspaper is that Gilbert Andre Bristol, 36, of 54 Garnett Street, Newtown, passed on at the Georgetown Public Hospital GPHC, several weeks ago after a period of prolonged illness.
Gilbert Bristol
Kaieteur News understands that Bristol had medical complaints prior to his incarceration on the drug trafficking charge.
At this point, it is unclear whether anyone else will be charged in relation to the case.
Gilbert was remanded for allegedly attempting to export cocaine found in a quantity of fish food. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on Friday December 7, 2012 at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) Wharf, he attempted to traffic in 233 kilograms of cocaine.
At his initial court appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry, Bristol’s Attorney Latchmie Rahamat requested that he be sent on bail since he suffers from a medical condition that requires special treatment which may not be available at the Georgetown Prisons.
Rahamat contended that her client is a father of two minor children and a construction worker as well as the import/export entrepreneur with no criminal record.
Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) special Prosecutor Oswald Massiah had said that accused, a licensed importer/ exporter, made arrangements to ship fish food to Hong Kong, China.
While in the process of shipping the 1500 bags of fish food, the scanner used by Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) workers detected something unusual.
CANU ranks were summoned and further checks revealed that at least eight bags contained the illegal substance. The bags, were checked, weighed and tested in the presence of the defendant who was later charged for the offence.
A statement released from the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA), subsequently revealed that the quantity of cocaine pellets is worth approximately $2 billion.
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