Narcotics found in army officer's luggage

Colonel Ramsarup was enroute to an officer’s conference in Washington when airport authorities discovered a bag containing 50 pounds of cocaine with a Ramsarup’s name on the tag.

He was allowed to proceed after the officials were convinced that the bag did not belong to the veteran army officer. There was no doubt that the incident had caused anxiety to the senior officer and gave him first hand, a demonstration of the precarious security situation in Guyana.

The incident is widely believed to be a case of drug smugglers trying to use the official who travels under a diplomatic passport, to get drugs past the US authorities. Others have speculated that it may be a case of a person or persons trying to plant drugs on the Colonel.

The US Government has since apologized for the detention of the Colonel. US Ambassador to Guyana Roland Bullen in a letter dated September 22, 2004 conveyed his government’s apology for any inconvenience Col Ramsarup suffered because of the incident. He expressed his abhorrence at "the fraudulent scheme attempted against you."

In his letter, the US envoy observed that the incident "highlights an issue of concern to both our governments".

He noted too that "the ability of someone to place an unchecked bag on to an aircraft demonstrates that gaps continue to exist in security procedures at the airport" and that "it is clear that these gaps are already being exploited in the trafficking of illegal narcotics."

In recent months, several persons leaving Guyana have been held at international airports after cocaine was found in their luggage. Recently two persons were charged when cocaine was found in their luggage in the United Kingdom. Carlton Joseph, 54, of north London and 19-year old Rachelle Chapman of south London had returned from Guyana and were charged with trafficking in cocaine but British police found that the passengers had their luggage broached and were unwitting couriers in the drug trade.

It appears the scheme involves the insertion of the cocaine into the passengers’ baggage after they check it in by someone either at the airport in Guyana or en route. Such person/s apparently has/have access to the baggage and connection with the baggage handler/s in London and North America where the illegal items are removed before the bags are loaded onto the carousel for collection by the passengers.

It is conceivable that innocent passengers could unwittingly fall victim to this scheme and many now hope that the incident with the colonel will force the authorities to improve the security situation at the airport and aboard air carriers plying the Guyana route.

One airline operating between Guyana and North America had gone so far as announcing its intention of security-wrapping passengers’ luggage after it was checked in by the airline’s agents at the airport.

In early 2002 sections of the sea defence at Profit and Belladrum began to collapse due to tidal effects of the Berbice River. The Ministry of Public Works and the MMA-ADA put their best efforts to mend the breaches but the forces of the river water overpowered all measures adopted by these agencies. As a result both residential and farmlands were inundated with sea water which was of saline content and intolerable to plants and small livestock.

The government having obtained a loan has entered into a contract with B.K International Inc. in the sum of G $1,029,735,125 to build the sections that have collapsed between Profit and Belladrum. The duration of the contract is 12 months and provides for the construction of 1800 meters of new sea defence works comprising earthen embankment protected with geo-textile material and rock boulders.

Even though Mr. Brian Tiwari of BK International Inc. has signed the contract agreeing with all its clauses, he foresees problems in sourcing adequate supplies of a particular type of stone locally. Toolsie Persaud Ltd. has the required grade of stone for the job. Omai Gold Mines Ltd., another quarry, has similar material, but it is too costly to transport it from there. Tiwari said that in the event of a shortfall in the supply of stones, he will have to access overseas suppliers.

The overseas consulting firm NEDECO represented by Haskoning Netherland BV of the Netherlands in association with SRKN’gineering of Guyana designed the works to be constructed.

The 23 miles of sea defence from Profit to De Edward village on the West Coast Berbice which was constructed some 22 years ago was done during the construction phase of the MMA-ADA project to safeguard the residential areas and cultivable lands that were developed by the provision of a network of drains, canals, and accesses to enhance agricultural production in that area. Those works were co- financed from loans the government borrowed from the Inter American Development Bank and government funds.

The MMA-ADA area is the highest producer of rice in Guyana. Sustainability of the rice and others agricultural sectors requires adequate sea defence protection.

The bandits, four armed teenagers, carted off an estimated $400,000 in cash and jewellery after invading the shop. Diane revealed that her husband and a friend were having a few drinks outside the shop when the men attacked.

A customer whom she believed acted as an informant is being hunted by the police for questioning.

Madray recalled that a few minutes before they were attacked the said customer had gone on the road pretending as though he was dancing, waving his hands in the air. She believed that that was a signal to the bandits, since as soon as he went back to the seats in the shop, the bandits attacked.

The "customer" who was drinking at the shop for about an hour did not leave when the bandits were beating the Madrays.

One of the bandits also attempted to sexually assault the couple’s 18-year-old daughter, but was prevented by one of his other accomplices who reminded him that they were not there to rape anyone, just to rob.

A customer was also robbed of $25,000 and was forced to lie on the floor during the attack. The Madrays expressed dismay that while neighbors knew of the attack, no one attempted to render assistance. This has lead her to question what kind of community she lives in.

Georgetown — Bandits continue to act with impunity in the Berbice region continuing their regular attacks on businesses and residents in the area. Despite renewed efforts on the part of the police and community groups, attacks have not been decreasing and residents are threatening to take matters into their own hands.

On September 21st three armed bandits attacked and robbed a businesswoman of $750,000 in cash, some jewellery and her firearm. Police reports indicate that at about 10.45 a.m. three armed men emerged from a white car and entered the business premises. They ordered the male handyman to lie on the floor and took the two women into the building where they relieved them of cash and jewelry.

A .32 licensed pistol with 15 live rounds was also stolen. The men escaped in the same car.

The night before, a liquor bar and a Chinese restaurant were robbed by bandits who carted off an undisclosed amount of money.

A few days earlier a 28-year old taxi driver was hired by three men to take them to Springlands. While they were on the lonely road one of the men pointed a gun to the driver’s head and demanded money. They also chopped him on the shoulder with a cutlass and later destroyed his radio equipment.

Two suspects have been arrested and appeard in court in this robbery.

The Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) are expressing concern that the good name of the business is being tarnished as people continue to use fish products as a cover for exporting cocaine to North America and Europe.

"The association is considerably concerned that the good name and business reputation of Guyana’s seafood export industry will be seriously compromised and the industry’s business seriously threatened by this illegal activity."

Over the past few months the drug enforcement authorities in Guyana have intercepted several shipments of fish concealing cocaine. The perception on the street and some sections of the press is that major exporters have a hand in the trade but the association which comprises 17 trawler owners has denied this.

The Association’s theory is that the drug trade is being carried out with virtual impunity in Guyana with catches stolen at sea from fishing fleets.

The group stated that over 20% of its catch on the high seas are stolen. It said the stolen catch, when brought on shore is openly refrigerated, processed and marketed for local sale in wholesale and retail outlets, including all of the country’s major restaurants, and is exported by persons licensed by the government.

GATOSP recently met with the Minister responsible for fisheries and expressed their concern that the government has been issuing export licences to persons exporting stolen seafood. They would like the source product to be determined before export licences are granted.

The association added that its members did not sell seafood on the local market for repackaging for exports. All of the members exported directly to buyers overseas and so far none of these shipments have been found with cocaine, the group declared.

A recent proposal by the EU would see the price paid for Caribbean sugar by EC countries drastically reduced forcing the bankruptcy of the sugar industry in the region.

In attendance at the meeting were the Chief Executive Officer of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean Dr. Ian McDonald, representatives from Belize, Jamaica, Barbados and other CARICOM countries, and various interest groups.

Addressing the two day meeting also was CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Edwin Carrington. He said that after seeing the effects of Hurricane Ivan, his heart was heavy, but it was nature at work and man should not try to emulate that. He also noted that few tasks have been more daunting than the challenge the region’s sugar industry is facing. Further, he pointed out that revenues to the region would be cut by US$180 million in three years and by US$90 million annually thereafter. He also noted that about half of a million people in the region depend on sugar. Sugar brings in about $250 million annually in foreign exchange, and that is from Europe alone.

At the meeting Guyana put forward a nine-point strategy to address the European Commission proposed Sugar Protocol reform, as follows:

Developing a unified CARICOM response to the reform proposal

Preparing for meetings with the EU Commissioners of Trade, Agriculture and Development Cooperation

Exchanging views on the Sugar Protocol in the context of the negotiations on EU Economic Partnership Agreements

Providing inputs for lobbying EU Member States, the EU Parliament and the Special Committee on Agriculture

Developing a unified response as regards the decrease in price, phase in period and principles for compensation

Developing a strategy towards beet producers

Developing a strategy to embrace Non-Governmental Organizations

Formulating a Regional legal opinion to enquire into legalities of the EU action as it regards to the Protocol, and

Seeking to insert sugar as a special and sensitive product into WTO negotiations.

In the case of Guyana the proposed EC reform would have a more competitive advantage than the other sugar producing territories of the region. But the Chairman of GUYSUCO feels that a regional position should be adopted in dealing with such an issue.

Four persons were taken into police custody following an intensive investigation by a joint services team. In a press release, the Joint Services Coordinating Council said the raid was a result of swift action from a joint services investigation team which included members of the GDF, Intelligence and Security Department and the Police CID.

Apart from the assault rifle, investigators also seized two 9 mm pistols and a quantity of matching ammunition, along with two cellular phones which were found concealed under a board of a single flat house.

Included in the four arrests are two army reservists who are believed to have smuggled the assault rifle out of the base.

Investigators are of the view that some of the persons arrested were responsible for several robberies in Berbice recently and that one of the suspects who hails from Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam has already been charged with robbery under arms and was on the run from police.

This incident follow several others where ammunition have gone missing from police. In one instance ammunition was found in the locker of a police rank while in another instance, a patrol unit returned to base with fewer rounds than when it left, despite firing no shots.

The recent arrests in New Amsterdam may shed some light on the perpetrators of the string of crimes being committed in the Berbice region .

Persaud is charged, as well, with discharging a loaded firearm at Baird.

Attorney-at-law Khemraj Ramjattan is representing Persaud. Ramjattan submitted that his client is a machine operator and he had no previous police incidents. Ramjattan further stated that Persaud did not have intentions of hurting the boy.

The defendant said that he caught the teen trying to enter his motor vehicle and, believing he was a thief, fired his licensed revolver, hitting the youth in his face.

The lawyer said that Persaud was about to shoot up into the air but instead the bullet went to the boy’s face.

The Prosecutor said Baird was in a stable condition at Georgetown Public Hospital where he is expected to undergo surgery.

The country’s Honorary Consul, Deodat Singh who has indicated that the number wishing to return could be between 100 to 400 persons, Luncheon said.