CANU destroys 730 kg cocaine, 1,970 kg marijuana
The drugs alight yesterday (Sonell Nelson photo)
The drugs alight yesterday (Sonell Nelson photo)

THE Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) yesterday destroyed over 730 kilogrammes of cocaine (street value US$29M) and 1,970 kilogrammes of marijuana.

Head of CANU, James Singh as he briefed the media yesterday morning following the destruction exercise of a quantity of drugs which were seized.
Head of CANU, James Singh as he briefed the media yesterday morning following the destruction exercise of a quantity of drugs which were seized.

The illegal drugs, which were destroyed by burning on Homestretch Avenue, were acquired following several drug busts.

Speaking to the media yesterday morning, Head of CANU, James Singh said that the exercise was necessary because they did not wish to encounter a stockpile and for other security reasons.

He added that the marijuana being destroyed was seized during last year and this year in numerous exercises aboard vessels and also search operations.

Singh stated that the cocaine was found at various airports and other locations.

He reported that the pricing (street estimates) as it relates to that in the United States and Europe- is €45,000 per kilogramme of cocaine and in the US based on purity it is about US$40,000.

Singh told reporters that the drugs seized were destined for Europe, the Caribbean, US and Canada and there has been an increase in seizures both by CANU and the police this year since drug traffickers are still trying their best to move drugs out of the country.

He explained that Guyana is a lucrative country and they will continue to try to take the illicit drugs out.
Singh said with close collaboration with other agencies there have been a significant increase in seizures of illicit drugs.

He noted too that there has also been an increase in the number of prosecutions and from a law enforcement standpoint the fact is that this country is not deemed a narcotics state but “we are making seizures whether it is coming in or going out and it shows that the Government of Guyana is supporting law enforcement in carrying out its mandate.”

The CANU boss vowed that “we will find the drugs through our operations regardless of where it is in this country and will not focus on where it is coming in or going out and we have had seizures countrywide.”

When questioned yesterday Singh said that it is unfair to say what we are doing nothing about drugs coming into Guyana since seizures occur in various parts of Guyana and not only in one area.

The destruction exercise yesterday saw the presence of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) where a senior officer backed up by fire fighters supervised the igniting of the drugs which was heaped after being offloaded from a truck.

The event was witnessed by media personnel drawn from all media houses both private and state and were also given the opportunity to test the purity of cocaine before it was destroyed yesterday.

Sonell Nelson photos saved in a folder in Graphics as: Canu Burn.
Written By Michel Outridge

 

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