Names released in NY drug bust
-arrests seen as another blow to kingpins
Stabroek News
April 8, 2004
More details are coming out about Tuesday's drug bust in New York involving Guyanese in what is being dubbed as a major blow to the kingpins behind the 'poisonous' trade.
However after three major busts in the last five months involving at least 46 individuals in three money laundering/drug trafficking rings not one person has been arrested in Guyana.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, eleven of the defendants were members of a large importation ring that smuggled cocaine into the United States from Guyana. "Specifically, Delven Adams, Intiaz Ali, Shafeek Ali, Zaman Ashraf, Jerome Brown, Bretnol Raul Hooper, Pooran Khuball and Okobo Vieira distributed cocaine for the ring, primarily in Brooklyn and Queens, New York."
Dorian Caldeira and Dino Sattaur allegedly participated in the drug importation and wired drug proceeds from Queens to Guyana; and Azaam Khan conspired to purchase cocaine in Queens from the ring. Between June 2002 and June 2003, these defendants were responsible for distributing and/or importing into the United States approximately 70 kilogrammes of cocaine, said the District Attorney.
The remaining two defendants, members of a separate ring, are charged with laundering narcotics proceeds, including drug proceeds for the cocaine smuggling ring described above, primarily out of a residence located in Floral Park, New York. According to the complaint, Sabrina Budhram and Arnold Budhram laundered approximately US$10 million in drug proceeds since 1986 by disguising the funds as money belonging to a front company, Sabena Manufacturing and Sales, an inactive textile trading company. Once the narcotics proceeds were "washed" through the company, the Budhrams arranged to transport the money to Guyana, typically in luggage carried by associates of the Budhrams.
All of the defendants were set to have initial appearances scheduled for Tuesday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy in Brooklyn.
A New York Post story stated that "An informant fingered the Tex and Deb Tux and Bridal Wear Accessories shop in Richmond Hill - owned by Pooran "Tex" Khublall - as a place from where the ring distributed coke, according to the federal criminal complaint."
The drugs, which investigators said were largely smuggled into Kennedy Airport in false-sided suitcases carried by passengers from Guyana, were distributed through New York City street dealers.
Tuesday's arrests are part of an 18-month investigation into Guyanese cocaine trafficking and money laundering networks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the assistance of the DEA, that has been conducted under the auspices of the United States Department of Justice Organised Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. To date, federal agents have seized more than 380 kilograms of cocaine arriving on board international flights into John F. Kennedy International Airport and Miami International Airport, overwhelmingly from Guyana, in approximately 50 separate seizures.
"This case is representative of our abiding commitment to stop the flow of poisonous drugs through our airports and into the streets of our communities," stated United States Attorney Rosylnn Mauskopf. "With this series of complaints, we are one step closer to dismantling the networks responsible for importing cocaine into the United States from transit points in Guyana. By arresting the domestic distributors and their money launderers in New York, we intend to take the product and the profit away from the traffickers."
DEA Special-Agent-in-Charge Anthony Placido is quoted as saying, "Sophis-ticated intelligence gathering, facilitated by mutual drug enforcement efforts, resulted in the swift destruction of these narcotic trafficking and money laundering organisations. The Drug Enforcement Administration will continue in its mission to target, disrupt and incarcerate drug traffickers, identify their illicitly derived assets and destroy the economic base of their organisations."
If convicted of the narcotics charges, the defendants face from five years to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and fines ranging from US$41M to US$4M. The Budhrams would face a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years and a fine equal to twice the amount of the funds involved in the money laundering.
Late last year the authorities in the US had arrested more than 20 people in connection with a drug ring operating at the JFK Airport, which included persons employed at the airport.
The persons were arraigned and their court matters are continuing. In early March there was another drug bust in New York also with thirteen individuals arrested many of whom were Guyanese.
Also, in February, Baltimore police arrested former national cyclist, Paul Choo-Wee-Nam with a quantity of cocaine in his car after he had allegedly uplifted it from a container shipped from Guyana.
The thirteen defendants
Delven Adams
DOB: 03/01/77
Address: 243-45 145th Avenue, Rosedale, New York
Intiaz Ali
Address: 76 Warwick Street, Brooklyn, New York
Shafeek Ali
DOB: 10/08/1970
91-12 120th Street, Richmond Hill, New York
Zaman Ashraf
DOB: 02/23/1957
Jerome Brown
DOB:11/04/63
732 E. 223rd Street, Bronx, New York
Arnold Budhram
DOB: 10/15/65
14 Drew Avenue, Floral Park, New York
Sabrina Budhram
DOB:05/12/1967
14 Drew Avenue, Floral Park, New York
Dorian Caldeira
DOB:07/19/82
116-13 147th Street, Jamaica, New York
Bretnol Raul Hooper
1944 Blackrock Avenue, Bronx, New York
Azaam Khan
DOB: 08/23/1973
88-04 80th Street, Woodhaven, New York
Pooran Khuball
135-47 116th Street, South Ozone Park, New York
Dino Sattaur
DOB: 12/10/79
419 Stockholm Street, Brooklyn, New York
Okobo Vieira
161 Montauk Avenue, Brooklyn, New York