The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) on Saturday conducted a contraband operation at a rented property in Windsor Estates, where officers discovered a quantity of uncustomed alcohol.

CANU said the operation was conducted on October 3, 2026, and that no narcotics were found during the search.

Three persons who were at the property were arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters for further questioning. According to the agency, one of those arrested told investigators that he rents the property from Ernesto Choo-a-Fat, a former member of the Police Service Commission.

CANU has explicitly stated that Choo-a-Fat was not the subject of the operation and is not the subject of any investigation by the Unit.

The clarification comes amid reports circulating online suggesting that the CANU operation had targeted Choo-a-Fat “swooping in on” him, CANU’s statement contradicts those reports.

Choo-a-Fat’s attorneys, Gunraj & Co., have also issued a statement confirming that the property has been rented for more than three years to persons unrelated to Mr Choo A Fat and that their client is therefore not in possession or control of the premises.

Attorney-at-law Sase R. Gunraj said his firm was retained by Choo-a-Fat following a Facebook post made earlier Saturday by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed concerning the CANU raid.

According to the attorney, Choo-a-Fat has instructed that the statements contained in Mohamed’s post are “false, malicious and defamatory” and seriously impugn his reputation.

Gunraj further announced that he has been instructed to immediately institute legal proceedings against Mohamed in relation to the false statements of purported fact contained in the post.

CANU, meanwhile, said its investigation into the discovery of the uncustomed alcohol is continuing.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Sport directors from Guyana and Suriname have held preliminary discussions about a new regional initiative that could pave the way for a multi-disciplinary CARICOM Games.

Guyana’s Steve Ninvalle and Suriname’s Enrique Ralim met in Suriname to chart a course for expanding the role of athletics during CARICOM Day celebrations and the annual Conference of Heads of Government.

The ambitious project seeks to build on the foundation of the annual CARICOM 10K Road Race by introducing additional sporting disciplines, with the ultimate objective of developing a full-scale regional Games.

Sport has long served as a vital vehicle for social cohesion and regional integration across the Caribbean, dating back to CARICOM’s establishment in 1973 under the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Guyana stands as one of the community’s founding members, while Suriname joined as its 14th member state in July 1995.

Ninvalle highlighted the success of the existing 10K race as clear proof of the region’s willingness to embrace sport as a unifying force, asserting that the time is right to scale up those efforts.

With Ralim backing the concept, both officials are now preparing a formal proposal to present to their respective governments before submitting the plan to the wider CARICOM body for consideration.

If realised, the proposed CARICOM Games would mark a landmark expansion for Caribbean sport, offering athletes, coaches, and administrators a major new platform to compete and build cross-border relationships.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Guyanese agro-processing company UMAMI Incorporated has announced its entry into the Qatar market, with its first commercial shipment to LuLu Hypermarket in the Gulf country now sailing from Guyana.

The shipment marks a significant milestone for the local manufacturer, coming shortly after UMAMI’s official market launch in Doha in September and coinciding with the start of Guyana’s Agriculture Month 2026.

The company said the shipment represents the transition from introducing its products to establishing sustained commercial trade in Qatar, while demonstrating the potential for Guyanese-made, value-added products to reach international consumers.

According to a statement from the company, President Irfaan Ali welcomed the development, describing the shipment as evidence of Guyana’s efforts to convert growing international relationships into tangible trade opportunities.

“We have worked deliberately to build the bridges between Guyana, Qatar and the wider Gulf region; the task before our private sector now is to increase the traffic across those bridges,” Ali said.

He said UMAMI’s first commercial shipment demonstrates what can be achieved when local manufacturers invest in quality, standards, capacity and ambition, while working with international partners such as LuLu to access new markets.

UMAMI has expressed appreciation to LuLu Group for providing the Guyanese manufacturer with a platform to introduce its products to consumers in Qatar.

Dr. Mohamed Althaf, Global Director of LuLu Group, described the partnership as an important opportunity to strengthen commercial ties between Guyana and the Gulf region.

“It is an honor for LuLu Group to partner with UMAMI and support the introduction of this pioneering product from Guyana to the Qatar market,” Althaf said.

Althaf said the company looked forward to building a strong and enduring partnership to support the continued growth of Guyanese exports.

Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraaz Ahmad Shadood, described the shipment as a breakthrough for Guyanese manufacturing and expressed the hope that it would be followed by further exports to the Gulf.

“This represents the first of many containers of Guyanese-produced products which is destined for the Gulf,” Shadood said.

He credited the Government of Guyana with creating an investment climate that supports indigenous industries and highlighted the role of the Guyana Embassy in Qatar in using economic diplomacy to create opportunities for locally produced goods.

Shadood encouraged other Guyanese manufacturers that have met the requirements for entry into Middle Eastern markets to take advantage of the opportunities now emerging.

For UMAMI, the company said the timing of the shipment during Agriculture Month is particularly significant, as the company sees greater value-added processing and manufacturing as an important next step in Guyana’s agricultural development.

UMAMI Managing Director Chris Persaud said there was a strong sense of pride in seeing a container of products manufactured in Guyana leave the country for an international market.

“There is a special sense of pride in seeing a container leave Guyana knowing that what is inside was manufactured here, by Guyanese people, and will ultimately carry our country’s name onto international supermarket shelves,” Persaud said.

UMAMI said its objective extends beyond the inaugural shipment, with the company aiming to establish a sustainable export programme and a permanent presence for Guyanese-made products in Qatar and the wider Gulf region.

The company also hopes its entry into the market will help open doors for other Guyanese manufacturers that can meet international regulatory, food safety, production and packaging requirements.

UMAMI also acknowledged Guyanese consumers, whose support in the domestic market, it said, helped lay the foundation for its international expansion.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE

Guyanese can now access Saudi Arabia without US, UK or Schengen Visa

Guyana has secured a significant travel and diplomatic milestone with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with Guyanese passport holders now able to enter Saudi Arabia using a visa on arrival or an electronic visa without first having to possess a valid United States, United Kingdom or Schengen visa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced the development on Saturday, noting that Guyana is now the only country in South America whose passport holders enjoy this facility without the requirement for a third-country visa.

Previously, Guyanese passport holders were required to have a valid US, UK or Schengen visa in their passports to qualify for the Saudi e-visa or visa on arrival. That condition has now been removed.

The change is expected to make travel between Guyana and Saudi Arabia significantly easier, including for persons travelling for Umrah, tourism, to visit family and friends, or for other purposes.

Guyanese travellers will also no longer need to go through an agent or visit a Saudi Arabian Embassy to access the facility. They can apply for the electronic visa directly or obtain a visa on arrival using their Guyanese passport and paying the required visa fee.

The ministry said the development is a consequence of the intensification of bilateral relations and ongoing discussions between Guyana and Saudi Arabia, particularly in areas including trade, economic partnerships, investment, tourism and people-to-people relations.

The new travel facility is also being viewed as a significant step in strengthening and consolidating relations between the two countries.

The government says it will continue efforts to enhance the features of Guyana’s Machine Readable Passports, in keeping with global standards and requirements, as the country seeks to further expand international travel opportunities for Guyanese.

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