Outgoing passenger

held with drugs in suitcase

…had checked in three pieces
but was saddled with another

Fazil Hussain, an outgoing passenger on a BWIA flight, was detained by ranks from the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit on Saturday after a suitcase bearing his name was found with a large quantity of cocaine.

Hussain was subsequently released, but has to report to the CANU ranks today.

Kaieteur News understands that two airline employees have since been detained in connection with the suitcase, which allegedly contained about 40 kilos of cocaine. The passenger was held as he was waiting to board the aircraft, which was bound for Canada .

The flight was scheduled to leave at 22:15hrs, but was delayed because the airport authorities had to remove the other suitcases that had been checked by Hussain prior to his departure.

Hussain, a United States citizen living in Canada for the past 20 months, said that he checked in three pieces of luggage at the check-in counter and was given the requisite baggage stubs.

He said that as he entered the departure lounge he received a call summoning him to identify one piece of his luggage. He said that when he was shown the piece he immediately disclaimed ownership but the CANU ranks pointed to the tag pasted on the luggage and asked him to check his baggage stubs.

Hussain said that he could have died. Instead of three, there were four stubs in his possession although he only checked in three pieces of luggage, something that an airline ticket clerk later confirmed. But that did not explain how Hussain got the fourth stub or how the extra piece of baggage bore a tag with his name.

He said that he did not check the number of stubs given to him because he took it for granted that he would have been given three stubs. He said that at the time he was travelling with his wife who usually travels with him since he is not in the best of health.

According to Hussain, he is a diabetic and has problems flying. He added that every two years he would come home to see his ailing mother and this year was no exception.

Hussain said that he was returning to Canada so that his wife could go back to work tomorrow. This incident, he said, has delayed their departure since his wife will not travel without him.

Hussain said that although he disclaimed the additional suitcase the CANU ranks took him into custody. They released him late yesterday and he is certain that the ranks must have been convinced of his innocence.

However, he has to report to the CANU office today as the investigations continue.

He said he is satisfied with the CANU investigations and was full of praise for the ranks, whom he described as professional and thorough.

Meanwhile his wife is traumatized. He said that he is fortunate that the find was made in Guyana because if he had landed in Canada with that piece of luggage he would not have been able to convince the Canadian authorities.

Hussain said that when this is all cleared up he would have a difficult time returning to Guyana . He added that this incident also does not help Guyana 's tourism drive.