-Guyana Police hand over files on drug, human trafficking to Suriname
AS PART of the mandate to create a stable and secure environment, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Suriname Police Corps (SPC) will be working in closer collaboration to tackle organised crime, particularly trafficking in drugs, humans and weapons.
Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud made this disclosure during a press briefing in the GPF Conference Room at Eve Leary on Tuesday. He was hosting a team of officers from the Suriname Police Corps who are in Guyana on a two-day exchange visit.
The Top Cop said specific types of organised crime will be targeted, and modalities on communication and intelligence-sharing will be established. “While we have a strong working relationship in the law enforcement agencies in Guyana, we still find it necessary to have the Guyana Revenue Authority present — being the lead agency in smuggling of goods to evade taxes; and (the) Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), (which) plays a significant role in the fight against drug trafficking,” Persaud said.
Adding that the GPF had shared intelligence with its Surinamese counterpart in regard to issues affecting both countries, Commissioner Persaud said those issues included information on trends, criminal syndicates, wanted persons, missing persons, trafficking in persons, and other intelligence in relation to crime. He said collaboration between the two law enforcement agencies has been very fruitful.
“Sharing information and intelligence has to be timely. Customs and Trade and CANU will share information directly, along with matters under investigation,” he said.
The files relating to various organised crimes and criminal activities were handed over to Assistant Police Commissioner Guno Roosenhoff, who headed the delegation of Surinamese police. Roosenhoff said the police operate within the confines of their respective laws to tackle all illegalities that are taking place in both countries.
He said collaboration between Guyana and Suriname has resulted in only one piracy case being recorded for the year, compared to what had obtained in previous years. He added that Guyana is advanced in certain sectors of policing, and the Surinamese law enforcement officers can emulate their Guyanese counterparts. He said the Suriname Police Corps will explore ways of adapting Guyana’s social crime prevention programme and forming an Association of Women Police.
Roosenhoff, an Assistant Police Commissioner who is visiting Guyana for the first time, expressed great satisfaction at the treatment the Surinamese delegation had received from its Guyanese counterpart.
A delegation from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had attended an inter-agency conference held in Nickerie, Suriname in April last. One of the most important objectives achieved was that key officers in either law enforcement agency were able to acquaint themselves with each other. Like Guyana, new officers would since have been appointed to the Suriname Police Corps.
