A QUANTITY of marijuana, cocaine and heroin which were being stored by the Guyana Police Force and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit were on Saturday destroyed at Yarrowkabra, Soedsyke-Linden Highway.

The narcotics represented seizures which were done by both agencies and which were being used as evidence in a number of cases which were taken to the court by the respective agencies.

According to officials of the two agencies present yesterday morning and who provided the media with an update, the total street value of all the substances destroyed, carried a street value of approximately $G187,000,000 (One Hundred Eighty Seven Million) Guyana dollars.

The Head of the Guyana Police Force Narcotics Branch indicated that the destruction was done on the order of the subject ministry of the two agencies, the Ministry of Public Security.

The substances destroyed represented cases which were taken to the court and were concluded, either by the various accused being convicted, their matter thrown out or cases where some matters were appealed, but were later lost.
We were told that in some instances, there were substances destroyed on Saturday which dated back to cases from since the year 2013.

Yesterday’s exercise saw the substances being removed from a central point in Georgetown and transported to the East Bank of Demerara under heavy security with the eyes and lens of media personnel in tow.
Once at the location, the items were lined up for destruction, but not before random tests were done on most of the samples; this was to assure media operatives that it was indeed the real substances being destroyed.

The press was first briefed about the colour coding in change for the various substances and various media operatives were asked to make any random pick from the dozens of parcels and present those for testing.
The testing was done by representatives of the agencies who were equipped with the various utensils and testing kits and equipment to ensure that the operation on Saturday was above board.

The pit in which the items were to be destroyed was already prepared and the substances were destroyed by fire, which was fuelled by old tyres and gasoline.
Armed personnel from the two agencies stood guard around the area maintaining a parameter as the cannabis and cocaine went up in flames. In addition to those named substances, there were also heroine and at least one substance which the agencies, even with the help of overseas counterparts, could not determine what they were. Those two were destroyed.

Usually, cocaine is dumped in the deep seas by the law-enforcement agencies and the cannabis is burnt, most times at the incinerator on Princess Street.
Yesterday the Guyana Chronicle questioned the shift from the norm and non-usage of the incinerator and we were advised that among the reasons the incinerator was not used was given the quantity of marijuana to be destroyed.

We were informed that had that amount gone up in flames, the smoke had the potential to affect those who were living nearby.