Stephen Vieira tells court, “I have no knowledge of any drug or narcotics being placed in any wood”

Dec 12, 2018 News

Telling his side of the story in a $550M drug bust yesterday, super biker Stephen Vieira, denied being part of any plot or arrangement to pack cocaine in lumber to be exported.
In fact, during an unsworn testimony Vieira told the court, “I have no knowledge of any drug or narcotics being placed in any wood. I have absolutely no knowledge of any plan between Hakim Mohamed and Narine Lall to export cocaine in lumber.”
Vieira of Middle Street, South Cummingsburg was at the time defending a charge of aiding the trafficking of cocaine brought against him by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). Vieira along with Nazim Gafoor and his father Tazim Gafoor, both of Menzies Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara and former Customs Officer Sherwayne De Abreu of Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, are jointly charged.
It is alleged that between March 1 and May 2, 2017 at a sawmill belonging to Narine Lall located at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo, they aided Hakim Mohamed to traffic 84.986 kilograms of cocaine.
They have each denied the charge and are out on $5M High Court bail each.

CHARGED: Sherwayne De Abreu, Stephen Vieira, Nazim Gafoor and Tazim Gafoor

The four defendants are being represented by Attorneys-at-Law Latchmie Rahamat, Everston Lammy-Singh, Glenn Hanoman, Latchmie Rahamat and Nigel Hughes respectively. Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, led by Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford, no-case submissions were laid over to the court by lawyers for the four defendants.
After careful revision of the evidence, Magistrate Liverpool ruled that prima facie evidence was led against the four men, and that the court will call upon each of them to lead a defence. Added to what was previously disclosed, Vieira said that he was hired by Lall to assist with preparing paperwork for the export of lumber.
The defendant made it clear that his arrangement with Lall had nothing to do with narcotics. According to Vieira, “I would have never accepted employment if this was told to me. I must state that all paperwork was never filled out by me but by Hakim Mohamed.”
He said that he never packed or prepared any wood for shipment. He stated that he only showed up at the wharf with the inspector. Vieira explained, “Hakim Mohamed brought the wood and it was inspected in my presence and nothing was found in them.”
According to the defendant, he was told that the other truck had a mechanical problem which resulted in the inspection being called off.
In concluding, Vieira said, “I left and I went home. I don’t know where the second wood was coming from. I don’t know who packed it. The only wood I saw that day was the one Hakim Mohamed brought to the wharf and it was inspected in my presence.”
CANU is contending that its ranks descended on the 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 the cocaine was unearthed.
The lumber was packed at a sawmill located at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo belonging to Lall to be transported to a wharf in Georgetown and then to be shipped to United States of America, CANU stated. CANU in a statement said that Vieira was listed on the shipping documents as a representative of the shipper, Lall.
The matter continues this morning before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court. The other defendants are expected to lead their defence.

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