…over 300 persons charged

SOME $285, 205, 817 worth of cocaine was seized by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) during last year and another $11.7B in cannabis.

This disclosure comes amid a major Joint Services operation currently underway in the Waini River, which has resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of cocaine and the arrest of ten persons including foreigners. Top sources in the security sector have confirmed the operation was launched during the weekend and intensified on Monday. So far reports suggest that thousands of dollars in foreign currency was seized and among the 10 persons arrested are Guyanese, Venezuelans and persons of other nationalities.

Meanwhile, sources close to the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA) revealed that for the same period heroin valued at $4, 806, 000 was also confiscated. The GPF, seized 64, 887kg 674.45g of cannabis while, CANU seized 123kg 825g and GRA-DEU seized 18kg 982g totaling 65, 030kg 481.45g of cannabis altogether representing $180 per gram.

In the case of cocaine, the GPF seized 24kg 481.6g, CANU 290kg 989g, GRA-DEU, 382kg 826.6g representing a street value of $745 per gram. As it relates to heroin, the GPF and the GRA-DEU made no seizures while CANU seized 1kg 602g. The street value of the heroin stood at $3000 per gram. Three hundred and sixty three (363) persons were charged by the Police and 27 by CANU, bringing the total number of persons charged to 390. There were 319 cases of the 363 cases made by the Police Force, while CANU only made 22 cases out of the 27 persons charged.

In the case of eradication of illicit cultivation, there were nine operations, in which nine fields were targeted representing 17.5 acres of land. Some 61,330 plants were discovered weighing 75, 166kg. In the case of dried cannabis, 2kg 210 grams were discovered and some 1355kg 231.45g of herbal seizures were done representing a grand total of 1357kg 441.45g. Only two persons have been charged. Dried cannabis representing $397,800 was seized ($180 per gram street value), while herbal seizures represented a street value of $243, 941, 661 ($180 per gram, street value); a combined total of $244, 339, 461.

Meanwhile, President David Granger, since taking office in 2015 has said his administration will bring narco-trafficking to an end. He described the trade as “the mother of all crimes” and noted that once illegal drugs enter Guyana it would be difficult to control crime here. “We do not have the resources, the assets, and we do not have aircraft to patrol our borders. We do not have the ships to patrol our sea space. We do not have the vehicles to patrol the land space to bring these crimes to an end…,” the Head of State had said in October 2016.

In March 2017, Major General (ret’d) Michael Atherly took charge of CANU following former head of the Unit, James Singh being sent on accumulated leave. Atherly heads NANA, which also has overarching responsibility for CANU. Major General (ret’d) Atherly was responsible for leading the review of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan 2014-2018. This review led to the development of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan 2016-2020.

In its 2017 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the United States said the Government of Guyana cooperates closely with it but is limited by resource constraints and high levels of corruption in the country. The current administration elected in May 2015, has expressed a strong willingness to cooperate with the United States on drug control, extradition, and mutual legal assistance, and other international crime issues. The report also states that the United States would welcome increased levels of cooperation with the Government of Guyana, to advance mutual interests against the threat of international drug trafficking. Guyana has shown strong interest in furthering collaboration under CBSI. The United States looks forward to tangible progress on investigations, prosecutions, extraditions, security sector capacity enhancement, the engagement of ‘at-risk’ communities, and enforcement of laws against money laundering and financial crimes.