— GPF, French delegation agree on new joint actions

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) and a high-level French delegation have signalled a major step forward in bilateral security cooperation, following a strategic meeting on Tuesday, between Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken and France’s Ambassador to Guyana, Olivier Plançon.
The delegation included French Commander of Police Jean-Michel Canestrier and collaborator Maxence Kauffmann. Senior GPF leadership including Deputy Commissioner (Administration) Ravindradat Budhram, Senior Superintendent Bharat Persaud, Senior Superintendent Dr. Nicola Kendall, and Superintendent Jewel Sullivan also participated.
According to the GPF release, both sides acknowledged a mature and effective working relationship, citing the recent joint effort involving fraudulent French passports as a model of operational success.

The Force noted that Commander Canestrier, who serves as the French Regional Security Adviser for Guyana and Suriname, engaged GPF officials in “detailed discussions on strengthening operational partnerships” and reinforced the importance of “continued joint action and cooperation.”
A key outcome from the engagement is the proposal for a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the two police forces.
The release stated that the MOU would “formalize the cooperation framework and support sustained partnership in critical security areas,” allowing both sides to expand structured collaboration on cross-border crime.

Both teams signalled an immediate push to bolster intelligence and investigative cooperation. The discussions explored enhanced systems for “real-time exchange of information, cross-border alerts and investigative support,” aimed at elevating joint responses to transnational criminal networks operating between Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
The meeting also discussed arrangements for joint visits to key facilities in both jurisdictions. These sessions will allow officers to share best practices, compare operational systems, and strengthen integrated approaches to policing.
With both forces investing heavily in modernization, the talks also prioritised digital transformation.
According to the GPF, cooperation will expand into “the digitalisation and computerisation of police work,” including investigative technologies, data management systems, and enhanced border-security tools.

As an early action item, both sides committed to joint training programmes targeting identity fraud, one of the most pressing cross-border criminal challenges in the region.
Initial training will focus on “identification features of Guyanese, French and European Union identity and travel documents, methods used in the production and detection of fraudulent documents and investigative techniques for document fraud cases,” with a broader training plan to follow.
Officials underscored the shared criminal environment spanning the Guyana Shield. The GPF noted that Guyana and French Guiana face common threats including “narco-trafficking, gold smuggling, human trafficking and arms trafficking and illegal immigration.”

The meeting also highlighted concerns that illegal migration could rise “with the recent launch of the direct flight between Georgetown and Amsterdam Schiphol,” one of Europe’s busiest hubs.
In its statement, the Guyana Police Force said it “reaffirms its commitment to strong regional and international partnerships to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all citizens,” and signalled a clear intention to deepen cooperation with French authorities to confront shared transnational threats.