Three GRA staff, broker held in connection with Belgian drug bust

Four persons were arrested at the weekend in relation to the 11.5 tonnes of cocaine found in a container which was shipped from Guyana to Belgium.

Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh told the News Room that three employees from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and a broker were arrested in connection with the huge drug bust.

The News Room understands that they were arrested following several raids conducted by CANU. Detectives are still hunting for the local shipper, Marlon Primo of 701 Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and 69 Atlantic Ville, ECD.

A wanted bulletin was issued for Primo, who operates MA Trading which is registered at 35 Factory Road, Paradise, ECD. Anyone knowing Primo’s whereabouts is kindly asked to make contact with CANU HQ – 2273507, 2260431.

The bust was reported by Belgian Times as the largest in the world.  Federal prosecutors told Belgian media the estimated street value of the drug load is €900 million.

The massive load of cocaine left Guyana on September 25 and was opened in Belgium on October 27.

The illegal substance was disguised as scrap metal and placed inside a steel container which was in turn packed into a sea container and loaded into a transatlantic vessel.

Local authorities found that the ship stopped in Guadeloupe for a few days and are now looking at the container seals to see whether they were changed.