–praises CANU for work

YOUNG people engaging in the use of narcotics are destroying their lives as it also encourages crime and violence within various communities, according to Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn.

As such, he praised the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) for clamping down on incidents of trafficking, sales and usage of narcotics countrywide.

“The frequency of seizures has increased dramatically over the past year. We have had outstanding successes in not only seizing large quantities of narcotics but also vehicles, boats and airplanes too in relation to this nefarious activity,” Benn said last week, when he witnessed the destruction of over 1,526 kilogrammes of marijuana, with a street value of US$2.5 million (equivalent to GY$523,979,000).

He congratulated CANU and supporting services that work diligently to ensure that illegal drugs are taken off the streets.

“Beyond crime and violence, trafficking and the smuggling of people along with money laundering are also associated with the narcotics trade,” Minister Benn noted.

Meanwhile, CANU Head, James Singh, said the agency was tackling the use of illegal drugs in schools across the country, a collaborative venture between the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders.

“So, we’re working with the Ministry of Education and other agencies, to sensitise and to develop a programme that allows us to go into various schools around the region and sensitise persons about the effects of narcotics,” Singh said.

While students are the main targets of the programme, teachers will play a crucial role in the implementation and effectiveness of the initiative.

“So, it’s not only about working with the students, but also working with the teachers. They must also be able to see the behavioural patterns of persons. That gives us a better idea if persons are on drugs or something else so we can work with them also,” he stated.

Singh also noted that CANU was doing a lot of work in communities countrywide, and was urging persons from within the communities to play their role in curbing the use of illegal drugs.

“We’re doing a lot of work in various communities and the aim here is to target persons who are engaged in selling narcotics, regardless of where, whether it is close by a school or even in that community itself, and that’s why again I will ask…if you know persons are engaged in selling narcotics within your community, anywhere, let us know confidentially and we will take the necessary action,” Singh said.

The narcotics recently destroyed were seized at various ports and the majority of it was imported marijuana.

“This is as a result of the support given by the Ministry of Home Affairs as well as other services such as the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). We have not destroyed any cocaine as yet because those matters are before the court,” Singh said.

For the first quarter of this year, CANU seized 49.2 kilogrammes of cocaine and 2,077 kilogrammes of cannabis, among other drugs, and a total of 39 persons were charged as a result.

The amount of cocaine seized is equivalent to over 108 pounds while the amount of marijuana seized is equivalent to 4,579 pounds.

Singh said that out of the cases made, 25 were linked to marijuana discoveries, 13 to cocaine finds and one for ecstasy.