–as Guyana steps up narcotics fight

THE Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), on Saturday, destroyed narcotics with an estimated street value of approximately $429.8 million.
The exercise forms part of the government’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the illegal drug trade and prevent Guyana from being used as a transshipment point by international trafficking organisations.

The destruction exercise was held on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, and was described as the second such exercise for the year.
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dwayne Adams, revealed it involved 81 kilogrammes of cocaine, 1,161 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa (marijuana) and 314 grammes of methamphetamine.
Speaking during the exercise, Adams said the destruction formed part of the government’s ongoing efforts to combat the narcotics trade, which he acknowledged is a long-term undertaking.
“It is a long process. Obviously, the war on drugs, and Guyana being with the expansion that we’ve been having, it’s now more prevalent,” Adams said.
He commended CANU, particularly Director James Singh and his team, for their continued work in disrupting the drug trade.
“We must commend James Singh and his team—they’ve been doing an excellent job,” Adams said.
According to Adams, CANU conducts operations daily across the country based on intelligence gathered by the agency, resulting in arrests and drug seizures.
He said, “As you know, every day there are various exercises. They’re out in the various regions based on whatever intel they’re able to gather to make these various arrests and busts.”
With several months remaining in the year, Adams said the authorities remain focused on intensifying enforcement activity.
“We’re still on track for the rest of the year to have more busts and hopefully in the future to eradicate drugs in Guyana and a lot of parts of the world.”
CANU Director Singh said the drugs destroyed on Saturday were linked to operations conducted over the past three years.
He said that the destruction had been delayed because of court proceedings and the need to complete the legal process.
“These would have been operations that have been conducted over the last three years. Unfortunately, it’s taken this long due to court proceedings, etc…,” Singh said.
He said the cases had been completed and involved persons who had already been found guilty.
Singh also highlighted the importance of co-operation between CANU and other national and international agencies, noting that the narcotics fight is not undertaken by CANU alone.
He said the agency has received support from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Coast Guard, Customs and regional partners in carrying out its operations.
Guyana’s geographic location, Singh said, continues to make the country attractive to international traffickers seeking to move narcotics from supplier countries to territories where demand is higher.
“Guyana, because of its geographic location, is a transshipment point,” he said.

According to Singh, increased enforcement activity in other territories has also contributed to attempts to move narcotics through Guyana.
“There is a push to move the drugs to other territories where there is more demand, better prices, and less risk,” he said.
Singh disclosed that within the previous three weeks, CANU had conducted a major operation targeting a foreign drug-trafficking organisation that attempted to bring narcotics into Guyana for onward transshipment.
He said, “Luckily, we were able to identify that group, conduct operations, and we were able to dismantle, place some of them before the court.”
Singh related that the operation resulted in a successful conviction, while other members of the organisation were no longer in Guyana.
He said the scale of that operation demonstrated the continued threat posed by international cartels attempting to use Guyana as a gateway for narcotics trafficking.
The CANU director also acknowledged security concerns arising from the agency’s work, including threats against himself, his officers and other members of the security forces involved in narcotics operations.
IMPROVED EQUIPMENT
He said improved equipment, with support from the Ministry of Home Affairs, is helping officers conduct their work more safely.
Singh also credited international partners, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), for assisting Guyana in its efforts to prevent the country from becoming a haven for international drug-trafficking organisations.
“We are doing a lot more to help Guyana and to ensure that we do not become, you know, that haven, so to speak, for the cartels wishing to move their border through.
Beyond interdiction and seizures, Singh said CANU is also placing greater emphasis on drug prevention and public education, particularly as concerns grow over so-called party drugs.
He said CANU’s Drug Information Network is working with the Ministries of Health, Education and Human Services and Social Security, while the agency has produced informational booklets and conducts community outreach.
Singh stated the outreach is not limited to communities where drug problems have already emerged, but also targets areas considered to be at risk.
He said drug use among young people can be influenced by peer pressure and social media, and stressed the need to educate them about the medical, social and legal consequences of drug use.
“No one wants to have their future ruined because they’re caught using drugs at an early age,” Singh noted.