Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon on Wednesday received the report from the Commissioners of the Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was established by President David Granger on March 31, to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the entry into, the interception, detention and subsequent release of an unnamed private maritime vessel in the sea space of the territory of Guyana.

The vessel was spotted in Guyana’s waters off the Corentyne coast moving north between February 11 to 14, 2017. While in the vicinity of Shell Beach, it was intercepted by local authorities, and brought into the Waini River and searched.

Though narcotics were not found on the vessel, which was subsequently released, it is suspected that the vessel is linked to a massive high-seas drug bust, which ensnared four Guyanese nationals and netted cocaine worth US$71.7M, 70 nautical miles north of Suriname in international waters.

The Commission was asked to report the findings and recommendations to the President, who is the Head of the National Security Committee. Accepting the report from Head of the Commission, Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell, Minister Harmon said that the government takes the issue of national security seriously and, as such, it is committed to examining the contents contained therein.

“I trust that the report that the Commission has presented will assist us in making some important decisions in the security architecture of this country and that it will assist us in making decisions particularly as it relates to the fight against narcotics trafficking,” Minister Harmon was quoted as saying in a release from the Ministry of the Presidency.

According to the release, Brigadier Lovell said that inquiries are important particularly in matters of national interest.

“Inquiries do what any good journalist would do and that is to answer the Five W’s and the one H; the Who, the What, the Where, the Why and the When and it also goes a bit further and seeks to recommend what should be done to prevent any further occurrence. So this inquiry has done just that. In our recommendations we look at a number of systematic issues, doctrine, organisation, training, leadership, personnel, facilities and, of course, policies,” the release quoted him as saying.

The other members of the Commission were former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Winston Cosbert and Ms. Christine Bailey.

It is believed that this vessel had transferred the large cocaine shipment to the mother vessel which was subsequently seized by the U.S. authorities and found to be carrying over four tonnes of cocaine. CANU’s Head James Singh was sent on leave a day after the multi-million dollar drug bust. It is believed that the outcome of this inquiry will determine his future with respect to CANU.

Major-General (retired), Michael Atherly has since taken full command of the operations of CANU. Since assuming office, the coalition Government has heightened and intensified efforts to counter narcotics trafficking on land, by air and at sea.

Coastal aerial surveillance and mounted branch border patrols have been reactivated and are done on a regular and continual basis.