Owner of Guyana-registered cocaine-laden ship identified

Last Updated on Friday, 21 March 2025, 21:14 by Writer

The owner of the Guyana-flagged ship, which the French Navy recently intercepted with 6.3 tonnes of cocaine in the Gulf of Guinea off the West African coast, has been identified, according to authentic information.

Sourced information states that the owner of the converted fishing vessel, SOLO, is Maylene Persaud of 57 Lime and Hadfield streets, Werk-en-Rust, as of January 2024. Head of Guyana’s Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh said Ms Persaud was currently overseas and her power-of-attorney and other persons had been questioned by anti-drug agents.

Persons at various wharves where the vessel usually docked were also being questioned in connection with the cocaine which has a street value of US$400 million, he said.

So far, investigators said there was no official record of the SOLO leaving Guyana. The crew members, a Colombian and a Dominican, had never entered Guyana, based on available records, Mr Singh added.

Mr Singh said the interception of the vessel was a result of strong international cooperation with CANU and other Guyana government agencies.

The operation was carried out following information provided by partners from the International Maritime Intelligence Gathering Structure, the British Counter-Terrorism Agency, and the United States Federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The operation involved a team from the French Navy’s helicopter carrier, supported by two Dauphin and Cougar helicopters and a drone. The French Navy regularly deploys one or two ships, accompanied by a maritime patrol aircraft, as part of Operation Corymbe, which aims to secure the Gulf of Guinea.