– US envoy

THE production of cocaine is soaring through the roof in Colombia and that means all trans-shipment routes that includes Guyana, Venezuela and Panama will be targeted as more drugs pass through the entire region.

This is according to United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway during his address at the Guyana Manufacturing and Service Association Limited (GMSA) business luncheon on Tuesday at the Pegasus Hotel.

“The amount that will be moving out of Colombia is increasing and it already has and one of the horrible things that happens is that people are being paid with cocaine and once that local person receives 10 kilos for helping out moving the shipment through a country, then all of a sudden they have to do something with that drug and they don’t have an international distribution network, so they start selling it locally,” Holloway explained.

He also said, as the demand goes up locally and more persons become addicted, their money runs out and they turn to all sorts of criminal activities.
Ambassador Holloway said there will be more drugs coming through the entire Region and Guyana’s law enforcement agencies must be prepared.

“We will continue as a US government to put millions of dollars a year in security in Guyana and tens of millions in the Region, but then again our money only helps if there is political will and everyone else is willing to invest their time and energy,” Holloway said.
He explained that there is a role for civil society to educate and instill morals in the various communities to let the population understand the detrimental effects of drugs and breaking the law.

The envoy said an ounce of cocaine is more valuable than an ounce of gold and more than half the population is under the age of 26.
Adding that this age group looks for instant gratification, Ambassador Holloway said government must find a way to keep the young people focused while providing job opportunities.

He said port security has to be enhanced and the US Government had donated computerised Identification Card reader equipment that would enable such.

The Transportation Workers Identification Card system (TWIC) which was handed over June last will improve security standards at the various port facilities, in accordance with the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, which was adopted here in 2004 following the 2001 terrorist attack.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is expected to hold sensitisation programmes with owners and operators of the various port facilities before implementing the ID card system.