Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
$550M cocaine in lumber bust…Trial of Stephen Vieira, three others delayed again
The trial of motorbike racer, Stephen Vieira and three other men including a 
former customs official has been deferred again.
It will resume on November 10 when the accused will appear before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool in the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
Former Customs Officer, Sherwayne De Abreu of 262 Street Eight Section A Liliendaal, Georgetown; Vieira of 37 Middle Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown; businessman, Tazim Gafoor and his son, Nazim Gafoor, a motor car racer, both of Menzies Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara are accused of aiding Hakim Mohamed to traffic 84.986 kilogrammes of cocaine between March 1 and May 2.
The men were first charged on May 30.
Their trial which was scheduled to commence yesterday has been further adjourned.
Nevertheless, Vieira and Nazim Gafoor were each granted $5M bail by Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George.
Kaieteur News understands that the bust was made after CANU officials received a tip off on May 12. When the ranks acted, the boards were being packed onto a truck.
The truck driver and porters were arrested but were subsequently released after it was discovered that the vehicle and its workers were hired to transport the timber.
The drug agency in a release said that ranks conducted a search at the parapet in front of the premises of Mohamed and searched a truck laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber boards prepared for export. Several pieces of boards were drilled randomly by the ranks and revealed a whitish substance (cocaine).
The lumber was packed at a sawmill located at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo belonging to Narine Lall to be transported to a wharf in Georgetown and then shipped to the United States of America, CANU stated.
Canu in a statement said that Vieira is listed on the shipping documents as a representative of the shipper, Lall. An arrest warrant has been issued for Lall
According to CANU, Tazim was placed before the court charged for his role in another cocaine matter.
The 43-year-old man was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, last year September following the discovery of over nine kilogrammes of cocaine.
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