-says gov’t will collaborate with partners to target transshipments in country’s airspace

THE illegal smuggling of drugs poses a deadly risk to national security and Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has vowed to further collaborations with international partners to destabilise criminal networks.
The Head of State’s comment came just days after the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) officers, in collaboration with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces Unit and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) unearthed a massive drug operation in Region One (Barima Waini).
President Ali, while addressing stakeholders at the launch of the National Defence Institution here in Georgetown on Wednesday declared: “We have every intention working with our partners to destabilise and break the back of all criminal networks, especially in drug trafficking, operating within our territorial space and in our airspace.”

According to the President, Guyana has already engaged with its partners to secure the necessary assets to facilitate joint operations to dismantle smuggling and transnational operations.
“All the overflights that are passing over our airspace, we are ready to work with you in dismantling the global empire that the drug trade has created.”
“But we need that support. We have to work together. You have a partner in us,” he stressed.

On Sunday, a Joint Services operation unearthed the 4.4 tonnes of suspected cocaine, which has a current street value of €176,000,000.
The operation was driven by intelligence regarding illegal flights into Guyana and was supported by information shared with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other international partners.
“We are committing to dismantling any cells which may exist locally and have lend support to transnational criminal cartels. This is our commitment to the global community.”

“As small as we are, with the limited resources that we have, you can be assured that we are taking all responsibility seriously and any information that is available to us, we will go after to the best of our ability every single operation that has to be dismantled,” he added.

The Head of State further issued a grim warning to criminal elements, highlighting the country’s commitment to combat the smuggling of illicit substances at an international level.

“To those who may have ambitions of using Guyana as a transnational point for the movement of illegal substances, let me be clear, we will come after you with the full force of the law. We will not allow our country to be used for criminal activity and we will pursue those who seek to do so.”
At the recently concluded 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in St. George’s, Grenada President Ali had pointed out that regional leaders have made progress in enhancing their respective security systems to combat transnational crime.
However, he noted that more will be required to tackle the smuggling of guns and drugs into the region.

“We have to ensure we build stronger systems so our borders are not used as tools to affect other borders and other countries. We have to fight the drug trade, we have to fight transnational crime and to do that we have to invest in security; we have to invest in border protection. We have to invest in port security, we have to meet all international standards and we are committed to doing so,” the Guyanese Head of State had said.