…as multi-million GuySuCo fertilizer racket busted
An ongoing multi-million-dollar fertilizer racket in Berbice was reportedly smashed with the assistance
of officials and operatives of the Prime Minister Office.
The perpetrators were caught red handed and are now in custody.
The racket which was reportedly ongoing for a number of years, involved the theft of thousands of bags of fertilizer destined for use by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
Special Assistant attached to the Office of the Prime Minister, Gobin Harbhajan, said that he was informed around 08:30hrs on Friday that a truck was discharging bags of fertilizer with the GuySuCo logo at the home of Omardat ‘Pliers’ Dindial, a resident at North Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice.
According to Harbhajan, officials of the Albion Estate and the police were contacted. The police and security personnel of GuySuCo journeyed immediately to the location and found the fertilizer at Dindial’s residence.
The 100 bags of fertilizer, with the GuySuCo logo, were removed from premises and taken to the Mibicuri Police Station. The suspect was taken into custody.
It is estimated that the fertilizer is valued at over $500,000.
According to Harbhajan, the fertilizer was reportedly offloaded at GuySuCo Gay Park, East Bank Berbice wharf and was stored in the bond at that location. The fertilizer was supposed to be distributed to various estates.
A team from the GuySuCo Head Office has been dispatched to the location to continue investigations in collaboration with the police.
The discovery of the Urea fertilizer would point to a bigger racket that has been
reported.
GuySuCo, struggling to regain its footing after more than a decade of losses and poor performance has been under pressure to improve.
Several workers were recently dismissed and some reinstated after checks uncovered that fertilizer was not applied to acres of cane land.
Urea fertilizer is in hot demand by farmers and is widely used in rice, sugar and cash crop cultivation.