– NANA 2018 report

LAW enforcement agencies last year conducted over 300 seizures of illicit drugs and over 20 eradication operations, seizing a total of 579,412 kilogrammes of narcotics while over 500 persons were charged with drug-related offences.

Drugs seized included cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, and methamphetamine.
This was disclosed on Wednesday when the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA) released its Annual Report on the Guyana Drug Information Network.

It was noted that most of the drugs seized in Guyana are not for national consumption but were destined for international locations such as Europe, North America and Asian countries.

This is solely because the market returns, and value are much higher, thus a better profit for the sale of drugs. The NANA report stated that the most served punishment for 2018 was three years’ imprisonment with fine.

This punishment was handed down to 59 persons convicted of possession, trafficking and cultivation of various narcotics. This was followed by 24 persons who received six months sentencing plus fines for their crime.
It was underscored that the harshest punishments for drug crime in 2018 were given to persons convicted of trafficking in narcotics.
Some 18 persons were fined and sentenced to four years imprisonment and 45 received three years imprisonment with fine.

In 2018, the data indicated that three persons were convicted for cultivation and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with fine.

The report advised that based on the drug strategy, bilateral relationships should be built with Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname and Colombia with the aim of further reducing the transhipment of drugs into Guyana through sharing of information and mutual assistance.
Further, it was recommended that the Guyana Police Force increase the manpower of its Narcotics Branch and strengthen their capacity to analyse trends in the drug trade to better target their interventions.

The report aims to support the development of evidence-based policy and programme to combat the drug problem.

The report highlighted that for 2018, drug prevention interventions was a collaborative venture with prevention specialists from both the government agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) working together.

The agencies targeted over 3,000 persons across Guyana to inform them about the impact of substance use on the individual, family and the community and to equip them with the tools necessary to make informed decisions about substance abuse.
The report also noted that many of these programmes targeted youth both in and out of school.

Moreover, through various training programmes initiated by the Ministries of Public Health and Education, the capacity of over 600 persons was built in the areas of drug prevention and treatment interventions to address the drug problem.

Additionally, the report noted that over 100 persons have received specialised treatment for problematic drug use via the Phoenix Recovery Project and the Salvation Army’s Men Social Service.

“These are all measures to address the public health impact that the drug problem has on our society,” the report stated.

Meanwhile, the report stated that the Guyana Drug Information Network (GUYDIN) is an inter-agency body comprising of key stakeholders from agencies working in drug supply reduction and professionals working in the field of drug prevention and treatment, who meet regularly to share data on drug supply and demand reduction interventions.
The GUYDIN has been producing annual reports on the drug situation in Guyana since 2011 through the Task Force on Narcotics and Illicit Weapons, along with the Crime and Social Observatory of the Ministry of Public Security.

However, the report stated that since the establishment of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA) in 2017, GUYDIN has now become an integral part of NANA.