Businessman detained for coke in ‘saltfish’ was arrested in 2018

The cocaine which was poked into the fish

A businessman who was arrested back in 2018 after a large quantity of cocaine was found under his car at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport is again the subject of a cocaine smuggling investigation being led by the Customs Anti-narcotics Unit, this time for coke poked into salted fish.

On Monday the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit intercepted cocaine concealed in salted fish at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport destined for Mimi, USA.

The cocaine was found at a Cargo Shed at the country’s main International Airport. According to a statement from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit,  six persons have been arrested pending the investigations into the discovery.

Among those arrested are individuals who hail from Georgetown and one from West Coast Demerara. Heading up the team is Navindra Sarwan a businessman.

Sarwan was arrested back in July 2018 after thirty pounds of cocaine were found hidden under his car at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at the CAMEX Bond.

280 pieces of plastic-wrapped pencil-shaped parcels of suspected cocaine were found hidden in the bones of salted fish which was intended for export. We were advised that the marrow was flushed out from the salted fish and replaced with the parcels of cocaine totaling 3.304 kilograms.

In the 2018 incident, Navindra Sarwan was released after it was determined that there was not sufficient evidence against him. In that instance, he was in the process of shipping ground provisions and pumpkins on cargo flight OJ 258 destined for Canada.