Blue Iguana owner busted with cocaine in suitcase  

Mar 05, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Royston Peniston, 44, the owner of the Blue Iguana Night Club in Alberttown, Georgetown was on Friday busted with some $2.1 million worth of cocaine stashed in two hard cover suitcases.

The suitcases in which the cocaine was found

Blue Iguana owner, Royston Peniston

The bust was made during an operation conducted by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) at Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

According to CANU, when ranks searched the suitcases they saw white powdery substance that appeared to be cocaine. Peniston was apprehended and the suitcase was taken to the CANU headquarters to test the substance and conduct a thorough search.

The substance tested positive for cocaine and further search of the suitcases unearthed two parcels of the illegal drug. CANU said that parcels weighed five pounds and has a street value of $2.1million dollars.

Peniston remains in custody as CANU continues its investigation.

In 2010, uniformed ranks had swooped down on his night club in Alberttown to search for guns and drugs. After spending 20 minutes in his property they came up empty handed.

The businessman had claimed that he is not involved in any wrong doing and said that the police presence was bad for his business at the night spot.  Peniston was also on the Guyana Police Force’s wanted list for execution style killings during the crime wave in Guyana.

His arrest comes two days after CANU arrested 52-year-old Cranson Carlson Henry and 44-year-old Mark Ferdinand for cocaine worth $13.3M. Henry was intercepted on Thursday by CANU officers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). He was an outgoing passenger traveling to the United States.

He was questioned and admitted to having 13.4lbs (6.070kg) of cocaine in seven Milex milk packages in his luggage.

Further investigations by CANU led to the arrest of Ferdinand, a local Calypsonian, of Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen. 

• Blue Iguana, CANU, cocaine, Peniston, Suitcase