Guyana probes NY drug bust

GEORGETOWN – The Guyana Police Force and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) have launched an investigation into the 40-pound cocaine bust in New York which originated in Guyana and some suspects have been identified but no arrests have been made, sources said Wednesday.Head of CANU James Singh confirmed that an investigation has been launched, but he declined to comment further saying: “When the investigation is through, I will be happy to share the findings.”On June 2, a woman, Chandinee Segobind, checked in a suitcase filled with cocaine packed in Kerry Gold milk packets, which was not detected by Timehri airport security, the police or CANU. The suitcase filled with cocaine left the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on a Delta flight and was intercepted at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York.Singh said he was indeed concerned about the recent bust following closely on the January “pink suitcase” bust of 50 pounds of cocaine. However, he said the police and CANU officers were involved in a “holistic investigation” looking at all angles, since something was seriously wrong.He pointed out that people have been charged in the pink suitcase bust, but this one still occurred and therefore there was need to look at whether it was just the human factor involved.“We are working together to look at this and I cannot reveal all the facts but just to say that an investigation has been launched,” he commented, adding, “We are looking at all the systems to see what went wrong.”He stressed that it is not that CANU and the police have not been having successes in the drug fight at the airport and referred to last weekend’s arrest of an American man at the airport by CANU. He has since been sentenced to four years in prison. (Stabroek News)