Surinamese authorities have completed the unloading of approximately 385 tonnes of seized Guyanese rice and are investigating whether its transportation alongside urea fertiliser resulted in contamination, Starnieuws reported today.
The parboiled rice, imported by businessman Bhagwatpersad Ramadhin, has been transferred to the Food and Agriculture Industries (FAI) compound in Nickerie, where it remains under police guard. Part of the shipment was unloaded on Friday, with the remaining cargo removed on Monday.
According to the report, authorities have not yet established whether the rice was contaminated or whether it presents a food-safety risk.
Suriname’s ministries of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, and Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation maintain that the shipment entered the country without the required permission. Rice is on Suriname’s negative list, making its importation subject to restrictions and prior approval.
The completed unloading is the latest development in the dispute between Ramadhin and the Surinamese authorities over the shipment, previously reported as 282 bulk bags weighing 384.8 tonnes.
Ramadhin had sought permission to return the cargo to Guyana. In a letter received by Customs on October 9, he requested withdrawal of his import document, citing mounting costs and the absence of agricultural import approval.
The businessman’s letter also claimed that the court had permitted the vessel to return to its country of origin. Starnieuws, however, reported that the October 8 proceedings ended when he withdrew his claim, without a substantive ruling authorising the vessel and cargo to depart.
The newspaper noted that withdrawal of the proceedings did not automatically lift the seizure or provide permission to export the rice.
Customs had formally seized the shipment after authorities challenged its importation. Starnieuws previously reported that the seizure was undertaken by Customs rather than the Economic Control Service, which had not obtained approval from the Public Prosecutor’s Office to carry out the action.
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