Nazim Gafoor, the 20-year-old race car driver who, two Fridays ago, was held in connection with a drug bust at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), was on Saturday hospitalised at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
According to reports, he was rushed to the hospital suffering from dehydration.
This publication was able to speak with his father, Tazim Gafoor, who had also been arrested and questioned by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). The man declared he would be taking legal action against CANU.
He said a medical report declaring that his son is an epileptic who is currently unwell and has to be examined by a doctor had been presented to the CANU ranks. That medical, dated May15, 2017, had stated that “Nazim had visited St. Joseph Mercy Hospital’s emergency department on three (3) occasions: 2016-3-2; 2016-3-3 and 2016-10-8. His common complaint was a pain in the neck that radiated to his shoulder. He was treated with analgesics and antispasmodics and a soft collar brace was prescribed”.
That report stated that “a diagnosis of epileptic event with whiplash was documented on 2016-3-2”.
It concluded that “according to notes, his chronic conditions would be nuchal pain and epilepsy, for which Dilantin was prescribed”.
However, he noted that after his son’s release from custody on Thursday, he was told to report to CANU headquarters on Friday, and he had complied. He said he and his son reported to the facility at 08:30h on Friday, and were not released until late that night.
This newspaper was told that since his arrest, the man’s son was not allowed to see a doctor, and accordingly fell sick on Saturday. His medical report shows that he was suffering from acute febrile syndrome and moderate dehydration.
Gafoor said a medical detailing his son’s condition was presented to CANU, and he will be taking legal action because his son should have been allowed to see a doctor.
“Every time they find drugs in such a large amount, they keep arresting me and I don’t know why,” he lamented.
Nazim and Tazim Gafoor were arrested by CANU ranks after $500 million worth of cocaine had been unearthed in a shipment of wood destined for the United States (US). The 84.9 kilogrammes of cocaine were concealed in dugout cavities with vacuum sealed plastic packets in a contingent of wood on the premises of arrested man Hakeem Mohammed.
The truck on which the pallets of 1 X 6 dressed lumber boards were loaded and prepared for export was detained.
According to reports, the Gafoors (Tazim and Nazim), along with motorcar driver Stephen Vieira who was apprehended at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), and wanted man Narine Lall, are all connected to this discovery.
Video footage was obtained from a digital device belonging to Nazim, and CANU is hopeful that the recording contains material of evidential value after it is analyzed.
No charges have been filed. However, investigations into the incident are currently ongoing.
