Local Motorbike racing star Stephen Vieira
Vieira maintains his innocents in the discovery by CANU officers back in 2017 of84.986 kilograms of cocaine worth $550M in lumber at a Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo premises belonging to Akeem Mohamed.
Vieira, appearing in court Tuesday denied that he had knowledge of the illegal substance that was discovered in pieces of timber that were being prepared for export. An unsworn statement was read in the court in which Vieira denied knowledge of any drug or narcotics being place into the wood. He also denied knowledge of any plans between Hakim Mohamed and Narine Lall who are also accused to export illegal drugs.
The accused said he was hired by Lall to assist with documents for the export of lumber which had nothing to do with the drugs. Vieira noted that had he known about what was happening he would have never accepted the job. He maintained that he did not do the paperwork or was even involved in the preparation of the shipment.
Vieira of Middle Street, South Cummingsburg was at the time defending a charge of aiding the trafficking of cocaine brought against him by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit. He along with four others Nazim Gafoor and his father Tazim Gafoor, both of Menzies Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara and former Customs OfficerSherwayne De Abreu of Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, are jointly charged.
