– US State Dept. Report
-progress made in capacity building in interior regions to combat drug trade
THE U.S. State Department in its 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) has again highlighted that as a matter of policy, the Government of Guyana does not encourage or facilitate the illicit production or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. The report stated that in 2010, modest efforts to reduce supply by Guyanese law enforcement agencies yielded 105 kilogrammes of cocaine. This is a sharp increase of over the 183 kilogrammes seized in 2009.

The amount of heroin seized in 2010 was approximately 1.2 kilogrammes, two kilogrammes of heroin were seized in 2009. The number of criminal charges filed against individuals for activities related to the trafficking or distribution of illicit drugs for 2010 were 683, 648 in 2009 and 473 in 2008.

Only yesterday, President Bharrat Jagdeo said that assistance from developed countries in the area of combating the drug trade has not been forthcoming and whatever funds are made available to fight the proliferations of drugs cannot pay the wages and salaries of the officers at the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) for a month.
The NCSR report stated that Guyana has a drug enforcement presence at the major international airport, post offices and to a lesser extent at the port of Georgetown and recognises that while the majority of drug enforcement assets are centred in the capital, progress has been made in building capacity in the interior.
It cited that the three major agencies involved in anti-drug efforts are the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and CANU, of which the latter has the most institutional knowledge and drug enforcement experience.
The report highlighted that in March 2010, the GPF units destroyed 10 marijuana fields with support from a GDF helicopter along the Berbice River, and burnt 28,000 plants weighing approximately 22 tons along with 45,000 two-inch plants that were found in 15 nurseries.
This seizure was the largest of three separate raids conducted over a two-week period that subsequently led to the seizure of additional marijuana, drug equipment and arrests.
Reference was made to Guyana’s 2005-2009 National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) which had guided CANU’s drug enforcement operations at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
Moreover, as CANU officials continued to make plans to conduct counter-drug operations in the interior region, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) assumed the responsibility for drug interdiction at the port of Georgetown in March of 2010.
In terms of legislation, Guyana signed into law, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, the Interception of Communications Bill, and the Criminal Procedure Bill which are designed to enhance both the investigative capability of law enforcement authorities as well as prosecutors’ ability to obtain convictions in drug related cases.
“To the Government’s credit, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act was used in 2010 in court proceedings, when Guyanese authorities obtained a conviction of a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) employee in its first case under the Act. The case was prosecuted with significant cooperation provided by the United Kingdom (UK),” the report stated.
Reference was also made to the new shipping container scanner which is expected to be operational later this year.
While the main purpose of the scanner will be to counter smuggling activities related to duties and tariffs, it may have the secondary effect of deterring drug smuggling.
Additionally, Guyana has worked closely with Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados on an operational level in 2010, utilising personal relationships and existing CARICOM treaties to create information exchanges on narcotics trafficking.
Notably, Government is spending approximately US$900,000 on the national intelligence centre and close circuit television surveillance systems, which will make a significant contribution in the fight against criminal activities including counter narco-trafficking interventions in Guyana.
This amount is part of the total sum of $900M, spent annually, which is equivalent to 0.19 percent of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The U.S. on the other hand spends an annual sum of $12.7B, which accounts for a mere 0.9 percent of its GDP. (GINA)