147 pounds cocaine in rice…Shipper rented office from Customs broker both in custody

Nov 03, 2017 News

The police have arrested Andre Poonai, the shipper of five containers of rice in which 147 pounds of suspected cocaine was found in one of the containers destined for Belgium, Western Europe.
The discovery was made last Saturday.
Poonai was arrested early this week. The bags in which the rice was packed bore the label of Golden Grains Investment—a company owned by Poonai.
Kaieteur News has learnt that the company is operated out of a property located at Lot 111 Barr Street, Kitty. That building is partly owned by the broker who has also been arrested.
The police are now trying to determine whether the broker has any linkage to the cocaine that was unearthed.
This newspaper has been informed that Poonai had made a similar shipment in 2012 and has since been under the radar.
The discovery of the illegal substance was made at the John Fernandes Wharf by ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). They were assisted by operatives from the Container Control Programme (CCP).
According to information received, the substance was discovered hidden in sealed 45-kilogram bags of rice destined for export to Belgium.
Kaieteur News was informed that the raid commenced at the wharf since Friday last, and the cocaine was uncovered just before noon the following day. The bags of rice were in five containers but the substance was found in one of the containers.
CANU said that the exercise saw the offloading and searching of five 20-foot containers filled with rice. The containers were scheduled to leave Guyana the same evening that the raid started.
Both men are said to be assisting in the investigation.

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