The police are seeking legal advice on how to pursue a matter involving soldiers involved in the smuggling of 75 pounds of ganja to Barbados, via the army’s flagship, ‘GDFS Essequibo’.
At least four ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard section were detained after the May 12 find aboard the vessel, which had sailed to Barbados to participate, for the second time, in the annual Exercise Tradewinds.
“We are seeking legal advice from the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions)...[and] we are pursuing court martial proceedings first [before the ranks are handed over to the police],” a senior police rank told Stabroek News yesterday.
A Board of Inquiry (BOI), launched to find out who was involved and how the smuggling was carried out, has been completed and the report has been submitted to the army’s Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier General Michael Atherly, a senior GDF source said yesterday.
According to the source, the Chief-of-Staff is expected to pronounce on the report “very shortly.”
The ‘GDFS Essequibo’ departed Guyana for Barbados on May 9 and arrived in Barbados two days later. However, it was recalled a day after docking following the discovery of the prohibited substance.
According to reports, a rank had placed the 75 pounds of marijuana on the vessel after it had been sanitised, then he flew to Barbados and checked into a hotel to await the arrival of the vessel. After the ship docked, the rank dressed in his uniform, breached port security and swam out to the Essequibo.
However, he was intercepted by the ship’s security, questioned and disclosed information about the prohibited substance that was stashed on the vessel. Two days later, after the ship returned to Port Georgetown, two more ranks who had travelled to Barbados as part of the 40-man crew were detained. A fourth rank was subsequently implicated as investigations intensified. The ranks are still in the custody of the army.