– Army, Police, CANU, GRA, GEA to collaborate more in fight to stop smuggling scourge
MINISTER of Home Affairs Mr. Clement Rohee and the heads of five agencies, yesterday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for use of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Floating Base, in the Pomeroon River, to counter fuel smuggling and other contraband.

The ceremony took place in the Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown boardroom, where the others involved were GDF Deputy Chief of Staff, Colonel Kemraj Persaud; Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell; Commissioner General of Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Khurshid Sattaur; Customs Anti- Narcotics Unit (CANU) Chief James Singh and Head of Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Mahender Sharma.
Rohee, who is Chairman of the Task Force on Fuel Smuggling and Contraband, said that it helps and contributes, to a large extent, to the strengthening of cooperation and collaboration amongst the various constituency signatories to the MOU for its establishment under the command of the Cabinet.
He said much has been achieved since the Task Force was established, the most important being the enhanced collaborating and cooperating among the agencies in which they can act in unison under its purview.
Rohee said, in Guyana, inter-agency collaboration is of great importance to foster efforts in national security for joint operations under the command of the GDF.
He said that, within a few months time, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is seeking to have its own floating base which will be strategically placed to fight fuel smuggling and other contraband in Guyana.

AN INTERVENTION
In opening remarks, Major General (ret’d) Michael Atherly said the MOU is an intervention by the national policy makers to increase the capacity of members of Task Force agencies to respond to the evolving nature and methods of criminal elements operating in the nation’s waterways and, indeed, within the nation at large.
He added that this can certainly assist in removing the tools of criminal gangs and to deprive wrongdoers of potential proceeds of their crimes.
Atherly said: “In unity there is strength and the more the Task Force agencies and their operations reinforce each other, the more they share information and resources, the more they harmonise operations, establish priorities and focus energy across the spectrum of criminal activities, the more productive will be the outcome of their conduct.”
He noted that fuel smuggling and contraband trafficking are not simple, with not only local problems but can be rather national and international in scope, as criminal elements do not confine their activities to any geographic area.
Atherly said that intelligence gathering and dissemination in identifying all levels of fuel smuggling, contraband, trafficking and other related activities are essential for coordination and to prevent duplication of efforts.
He pointed out that, accordingly, five agencies of the Task Force will further join forces to achieve better results and the MOU will provide the participating parties additional means in dealing with common interest to prevent, detect, suppress, investigate and prosecute criminal offences or violations of the law, including but not limited to fuel smuggling, trafficking or contraband.
Atherly declared: “We must send a powerful message to fuel smugglers, pirates, poachers and the likes…across the length and breadth of Guyana.”

INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION
Deputy Chief of Staff Persaud said the GDF is heartened by the ceremony which is a step closer to the operation of inter-agency coordination intended to form one platform and a common space to provide resources and appropriate responses to matters of national security, internal peace and stability and, simultaneously, contributing to national wealth.
The Colonel said the GDF recognises that the other major participants are joined in unity for this national cause and it is a sacrifice, as they make their respective contributions at making, albeit in a very small way, Guyana safe and secure.
He added: “I am reminded that you don’t have to serve the military to be identified with issues of national security and our sister services, GPF, GRA, CANU and GEA, are all now reassured that the muscle, and those empowered to police our waterways, that is, the GDF Coast Guard, to assist in overcoming the challenges presented by those intended to flout the laws, GDF looks forward, early, for more such initiatives in which shared responsibilities can have the effect of greater compliance.
“We are ready and willing to support the Minister’s vision in this particular instance, as well, as any like initiatives and, no doubt, share the view inter-agency coordination and cooperation is the way to respond to common threat,” Persaud
stated.
He said the leadership of the GDF stands firm on its resolve to work with any individual or group who considers Guyana’s national interest as being sacred and paramount above all others.
The Heads of the participating agencies affixed their signatures to the documentation yesterday.
Written By Michel Outridge