GRA investigates Brooklyn’s coke-in-shrimp bust

Jul 04, 2015 News

As questions continue how some 268 kilos of cocaine in a shrimp shipment passed local authorities and ended up in a Brooklyn terminal where a drug sniffing dog detected it, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday

A drug-sniffing dog noticed something fishy about the shipping container full of shrimp.

said that it highlights the ingenuity of drug smugglers.
According to GRA, the seizure would underscore the need for sophisticated detection techniques to be employed.
“It has also highlighted the pervasiveness of the narcotics trade and the need for law enforcement officials, particularly the GRA’s Customs and Trade Administration to fortify its efforts to monitor incoming and outbound cargo at the wharves, transit sheds and other ports of entry.”
The tax collection agency said that in the interest of revenue protection and the prevention of trade in prohibited and restricted items, GRA utilizes profiling criteria to determine if cargo is considered high risk and requires random inspections. Examination of cargo is also premised on the method of concealment that is being detected.
“Additionally, in keeping with maritime and other requirements, consignments destined for the United Kingdom, Canada and United States are scanned utilizing the stationary and mobile scanners that are available.”
These methods have greatly assisted customs officials in their inspection duties, particularly on items that would require more than what can be done manually. “Thus, consignments of shrimp will be subject to the image scanning technology. Moreover, the GRA’s Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) has spearheaded and has been successful in major drug busts, including through its active Port Control Unit (PCU) under the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) programme.”
For 2015 alone there were some major busts recorded. One of these included the one on March 30, where cocaine were discovered in shipments of charcoal at Silver Hill, Linden Highway.
Another one would be the January 6 drug bust on a Cypriot vessel, the M/V DeltaDiep that was destined for Belgium with a shipment of bauxite from Guyana.
“These achievements are testimony to Guyana’s bilateral relations with other countries and the GRA’s commitment to its obligations under international maritime regulations which among other things, mandate that exports, particularly container cargo, be subjected to image scanning.”
GRA said that in light of the notably high frequency in the attempts to traffic narcotics in and out of Guyana over many years, it is determined to ensure that its present and future operations effectively tackle the trade and pursue more enforcement activities that help to build confidence while at the same time expose the wrong doings of those found in breach of the law.
“At present investigations are ongoing into the recent discovery of cocaine in shrimp in the US and more information will be provided as it becomes available.”
The recent bust would put pressure on not only GRA but other agencies involved in tackling drug smuggling.
According to court documents filed in New York, agents of the US Government received information which indicated that between June 10 and June 23, Heeralall Sukdeo- a Guyanese- and others, conspired to import cocaine to the US.
The complaint stated that on June 10, a white metal container with the words “Seaboard Marine” arrived at the Red Hook Terminal in Brooklyn. The shipment had come from Guyana and addressed to one “Randolph Fraser”, who had a Queens address.
The container was selected for inspection and a drug detection dog alerted officers to the presence of drugs. In the container were found multiple smaller containers of frozen shrimp and other seafood products. In all, agents retrieved about 268 kilos of cocaine hidden in the shrimps.
The shipper was identified as one Heeralall Sukdeo, a businessman from Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.
It was estimated the coke had a street value of US$12M.
Agents removed the cocaine and allowed the shrimp shipment, keeping watch. They notified “Randolph Fraser” that the shipment had arrived.
On June 22, it was picked up and driven to various locations in New York City before it was delivered to a storage facility in Brooklyn.
Agents saw Sukdeo and others arriving at the Brooklyn warehouse and supervising the unloading of the shipment.
When approached, Sukdeo initially denied he had any connections with the shipment and was there for another one. He was only in the vicinity of the shipment because he was curious about its contents.
He denied he was ‘Randolph Fraser’.
However, agents claimed that they interviewed an employee which claimed that Sukdeo was the one who rented storage space at the warehouse under the name of ‘Randolph Fraser’.
Sukdeo was arraigned on June 24 at a Brooklyn, New York court and refused bail on June 30.