THE Head of the proposed National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA) would be nominated subsequent to the completion of a study being conducted on the National Drug Strategy Master Plan, President David Granger said on Wednesday. He also noted that no decision has been made on merging the Customs Anti- Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Police Narcotics Branch into a single unit. Reports are that government is inclined to make NANA a policymaking body which will guide the operations of CANU and the Police Narcotics Branch.
Currently, Major General (ret’d) Michael Atherly is revising the Master Plan with the intention of making recommendations to the Vice President and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan. Once the revision is completed, a nomination for the head of NANA would be made. Additionally, Major General Atherly is also examining the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Police Narcotics Branch. “What he has been doing is rationalising the functions of the three agencies: CANU, the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Drug Enforcement Unit – the three units involved in anti-narcotics work now. Major General Atherly is examining all three, and the Drug Strategy Master Plan in order to make recommendations to Vice President Ramjattan,” the President explained.
It is expected that the revised National Drug Strategy Master Plan would be adopted by his Administration within two weeks paving the way for the establishment of NANA.
In September, the President had disclosed his intention to have CANU and the Police Narcotics Unit operate under one agency, stating that he prefers “a single unit.” “I agree that the duties of the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit should be merged,” he had told reporters. While the roles of the two agencies are similar, CANU has greater responsibilities as the police unit, which is smaller, is more or less responsible for mobile and eradication exercises. “The two functions have to be harmonised; we don’t need two, we need one strong unit,” the President had emphasised.
President Granger stated that while CANU has more responsibilities than the police unit, the police unit’s involvement is critical to the narcotics fight as laboratory and forensic work have to be done to determine whether items seized are illicit. “The police have to be involved,” the president said, while noting that the enforcement aspect which speaks to patrols, aircrafts, and vehicles will all come under one unit.
In its 2015 Manifesto, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition as part of its ‘Public Safety and Security Plans,’ had disclosed its intention to “establish a unified Drug Enforcement and Control Agency (DECA) to coordinate and execute the national drug enforcement policy between the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit (PANU), DEA, INTERPOL and other agencies.”
It had also bemoaned the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration’s failure to capitalise on regional and international support that was being offered to the country in the area of security. “Almost every year since 1999, the US Department of State through its annual reports (International Narcotics Control Strategy; Human Rights Practice; Trafficking in Persons) has criticised the failure of the PPPC administration to ensure human safety and public safety.
In building a strong case against the PPP/C, the coalition had also alluded to what it considered to be a “deliberate” move by that administration to derail its own National Drug Strategy Master Plan and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development funded £4.9M Security Sector Reform Action Plan. “It pretended to be serious about combating crime by establishing the Steering Committee of the National Consultation on Crime, the Border and National Security Committee and the Disciplined Forces Commission then routinely ignored their recommendations.”
But, in keeping with its plan to curb the issue of Crime, the David Granger Administration has already sought the intervention of the UK in the reestablishment of the Security Sector Reform Action Plan. While attending the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September, President Granger met with Prime Minister David Cameron and made a formal request for the reintroduction of the Security Sector Reform Action Plan.
In 2009, the UK Government had offered its assistance to finance the project but the PPP/C Administration had declined the offer, contending that the British Law Enforcement would have had a leading role in its implementation. Although, Prime Minister Cameron has not responded to the request to date, President Granger is convinced that the proposal will be considered.