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THE sentence for drug-trafficking in one of these Far Eastern countries, Singapore, or Indonesia (the exact country eludes me right now) is death. Quite a harsh punishment for the crime some may add. But the fact is, it is one of the few countries where drug- trafficking is very low, almost negligible. The reason for that is so obvious. It all has to do with the sentencing which is a strong deterrent to those who are contemplating getting into the trade. I was looking at a BBC documentary on drug-trafficking in one of the aforementioned countries and have decided to share it with you. With all drug-related matters the lucrative temptation could not have been resisted when a white American woman decided to test the Far-Eastern system by going there to do her own bit of trafficking. She, being an American and a woman, at that, was bold enough to venture into that country as a “tourist.” She did her work as was intended and was about to leave with her cargo when a keen security official noticed the drugs in a hidden compartment of her suitcase. As is the standard practice in such cases she was afforded a speedy drug trafficker’s trial and conviction and death by hanging.
Being an American, the relatives of the accused appealed the ruling which set off another hearing in court. The defence’s appeal was the usual nonsensical story of it wasn’t her and a phantom placed the drugs there; the full works of a “who shot John story.” If my memory serves me right, it was on the intervention of President Clinton himself that the judge’s decision was “lessened” to life imprisonment. Upon the reading of the verdict, her relatives burst out in court that it was unfair, for which they were cautioned that she rightfully should have been hanged, but, due to strong government pressure it was reduced to life imprisonment. In essence, the court was telling the relatives that they ought to count their lucky stars that she was let off the hang man’s noose.
Now I have watched the drug situation in Guyana grow by leaps and bounds with drugs being trafficked in hair weavings, in pepper sauce, in black pudding. Not forgetting drugs in cabbage, coconut milk, dog food, fish food and in passion fruit juice. The list is endless. You name it and we can produce it right here in good old Guyana. Did I say produce it? That’s right! It is my firm belief that the drug busts we are now making is a result of it being produced here. It’s manufactured and packaged in Guyana. You cannot tell me that such a cumbersome commodity was smuggled in then trans-shipped out again. I do not believe the traffickers are so clumsy to go through all the pains to bring drugs in then ship them out. I am more inclined to believe that it is grown and packaged right here. And my reason for saying this is with each passing drug find the weight of the narcotic keeps rising exponentially. The facts are clear: drugs are being produced, packaged/canned and exported from here. And what we are witnessing right now is just a tip of the iceberg, the best is yet to come as law enforcement go right to the source of this “big business.” Guyana has now earned its mark as little Colombia where the drugs trade is concerned.
Now drug-trafficking has become an endemic problem due to two notable reasons. Firstly, much of the problem lies in the political manoeuvrings of the opposition PNCR. These charlatans have opened their big mouths spewing so much nonsense about Roger khan that one would have believed that the drugs trade was Khan and Khan’s alone. There was the erroneous view that Roger Khan was the embodiment of the drugs trade here in Guyana. Their foolishness even went so far as to implicate the government as trafficking in drugs, thus, throwing a red herring in the path of law-enforcement getting to the real source of the problem.
Well, Khan is in jail and the government is in the minority, can they account for the upsurge in the trade? Can they give an explanation that is believable to these latest big drug finds? I challenge them to produce the evidence so that I could believe them.
Secondly, and this is the crux of my argument; when you look at the sentences given to the culprits in the trade it is tantamount to an incentive for trafficking. These paltry sentences are an inducement for anyone to get into “the business.” Four years sentencing for such a serious crime is a big joke. The point is, the traffickers are getting younger and younger and the sentences are getting shorter which tells me that we are not anywhere close to the solution to this scourge. That is why I draw my readers’ back to the documentary as to why the drugs trade is not so prevalent in that Far Eastern country. The harsh sentencing that awaits them precludes traffickers from ever contemplating the act. The situation is quite the opposite here in our country.
Here in Guyana we have become “too humane” when it comes to sentencing persons caught in the act. The innocuous sentencing of four years imprisonment is not helping the situation either. Mark you, four years prison time is not four calendar years which tells you that with the youthfulness of the crime the convicts are laughing their way to prison. Then, it is the huge assets involved in the trade. Why aren’t we applying the money laundering laws? Seems as though the courts are playing “hanky panky” when the money-laundering laws are to be applied. Why aren’t they going after the bank accounts? Or why can’t we see that the assets of those convicted are confiscated? No wonder we have such a huge problem. We know them, these fly by night businessmen with flashy edifices and massive bank accounts, who drive around in million dollar vehicles. They have numerous “business” arrangements with no legitimate means of income. This tells me some in the judiciary needs to account for not measuring up to the strict adherence of the law. It puzzles me as to what is going on in Guyana. When I see some stiff jail sentences such as 22 years and above, plus the confiscation of assets, then and only then would I be satisfied that we are going somewhere in bringing an end to this drug- trafficking business.
Being an American, the relatives of the accused appealed the ruling which set off another hearing in court. The defence’s appeal was the usual nonsensical story of it wasn’t her and a phantom placed the drugs there; the full works of a “who shot John story.” If my memory serves me right, it was on the intervention of President Clinton himself that the judge’s decision was “lessened” to life imprisonment. Upon the reading of the verdict, her relatives burst out in court that it was unfair, for which they were cautioned that she rightfully should have been hanged, but, due to strong government pressure it was reduced to life imprisonment. In essence, the court was telling the relatives that they ought to count their lucky stars that she was let off the hang man’s noose.
Now I have watched the drug situation in Guyana grow by leaps and bounds with drugs being trafficked in hair weavings, in pepper sauce, in black pudding. Not forgetting drugs in cabbage, coconut milk, dog food, fish food and in passion fruit juice. The list is endless. You name it and we can produce it right here in good old Guyana. Did I say produce it? That’s right! It is my firm belief that the drug busts we are now making is a result of it being produced here. It’s manufactured and packaged in Guyana. You cannot tell me that such a cumbersome commodity was smuggled in then trans-shipped out again. I do not believe the traffickers are so clumsy to go through all the pains to bring drugs in then ship them out. I am more inclined to believe that it is grown and packaged right here. And my reason for saying this is with each passing drug find the weight of the narcotic keeps rising exponentially. The facts are clear: drugs are being produced, packaged/canned and exported from here. And what we are witnessing right now is just a tip of the iceberg, the best is yet to come as law enforcement go right to the source of this “big business.” Guyana has now earned its mark as little Colombia where the drugs trade is concerned.
Now drug-trafficking has become an endemic problem due to two notable reasons. Firstly, much of the problem lies in the political manoeuvrings of the opposition PNCR. These charlatans have opened their big mouths spewing so much nonsense about Roger khan that one would have believed that the drugs trade was Khan and Khan’s alone. There was the erroneous view that Roger Khan was the embodiment of the drugs trade here in Guyana. Their foolishness even went so far as to implicate the government as trafficking in drugs, thus, throwing a red herring in the path of law-enforcement getting to the real source of the problem.
Well, Khan is in jail and the government is in the minority, can they account for the upsurge in the trade? Can they give an explanation that is believable to these latest big drug finds? I challenge them to produce the evidence so that I could believe them.
Secondly, and this is the crux of my argument; when you look at the sentences given to the culprits in the trade it is tantamount to an incentive for trafficking. These paltry sentences are an inducement for anyone to get into “the business.” Four years sentencing for such a serious crime is a big joke. The point is, the traffickers are getting younger and younger and the sentences are getting shorter which tells me that we are not anywhere close to the solution to this scourge. That is why I draw my readers’ back to the documentary as to why the drugs trade is not so prevalent in that Far Eastern country. The harsh sentencing that awaits them precludes traffickers from ever contemplating the act. The situation is quite the opposite here in our country.
Here in Guyana we have become “too humane” when it comes to sentencing persons caught in the act. The innocuous sentencing of four years imprisonment is not helping the situation either. Mark you, four years prison time is not four calendar years which tells you that with the youthfulness of the crime the convicts are laughing their way to prison. Then, it is the huge assets involved in the trade. Why aren’t we applying the money laundering laws? Seems as though the courts are playing “hanky panky” when the money-laundering laws are to be applied. Why aren’t they going after the bank accounts? Or why can’t we see that the assets of those convicted are confiscated? No wonder we have such a huge problem. We know them, these fly by night businessmen with flashy edifices and massive bank accounts, who drive around in million dollar vehicles. They have numerous “business” arrangements with no legitimate means of income. This tells me some in the judiciary needs to account for not measuring up to the strict adherence of the law. It puzzles me as to what is going on in Guyana. When I see some stiff jail sentences such as 22 years and above, plus the confiscation of assets, then and only then would I be satisfied that we are going somewhere in bringing an end to this drug- trafficking business.
