The drug trade must never be an option -CANU urges

Feb 18, 2018 News

The marijuana farm discovered at De Velde village in the Berbice River

Guyana’s counter-narcotics capabilities have been enhanced with much help from the European Union and United States of America, among others. From all indications, significant strides have been made by the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU), the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA) and the Guyana Police Force, to combat the lucrative narcotic trade.
With its fight against the epidemic continuing, CANU, thus far for 2018, has made several cocaine busts around the country which have resulted in the prosecution of over 10 persons for narcotics trafficking and other drug-related offences.
It’s most recent bust was made on Valentine’s Day, when a 19-year-old mother was arrested at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) after the discovery of 2.660 kilograms of cocaine in her hand luggage.
The teenager was scheduled to travel to the United States of America.
The teen and her mother were charged and remanded to prison on Friday for allegedly trafficking the illicit drug.
In a press statement highlighting the drug find, CANU urged, “Irrespective of life’s challenges civilians must recognise that the narcotic trade must never be an option. The narcotic trade is harmful to the traffickers, its users and everyone connected to them.”
Also on Valentine’s Day, Rajesh Kissoondyal, called “Paddle”, a Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara farmer was jailed for three years and fined $30,000 for offering a Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) rank $1.4M to let him go while he was in custody pending investigations into just over 48 kilograms of cocaine in sheets of plywood. The drug was unearthed in March 2016 at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
Kissoondyal, who was initially charged last month, opted to plead guilty to the charge.
Some of the notable cocaine busts made by CANU this year include the discovery of just over 20 pounds of cocaine in frozen fish on February 6, at the CJIA. Following the find, Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara businessman Amir Ally and Canter truck driver, Baldeo Persaud of Kingston Street, ‘C’ Field, Leonora, West Coast Demerara, were both remanded to prison after being charged for cocaine trafficking.
The frozen fish was scheduled for export to the United States.
On January 11, charges were brought against four Colombians, three Guyanese and a Venezuelan, following an 11-kilogrammes cocaine bust at Pomeroon, Essequibo River, nine days prior.
Of the eight persons arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts, one was charged with trafficking a narcotic, while the seven others, including a woman, were charged with aiding the trafficking of a narcotic. They, too, were also remanded to prison.
With the arrests of the locals and foreign nationals it appears as though authorities have dismantled a major drug trafficking ring. They were arrested after a four-day operation – between January 1 and 4 – by CANU, NANA, GPF and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard.
NANA said that the three locations raided included a residence at Barrow Avenue, Republic Park, East Bank Demerara; a residence in the Pomeroon River and a camp located a short distance north-east of the Moruca River mouth.
Among the items seized were a Toyota Axio car; three speed boats with engines; 15 cell phones, 11 kilos of coke and a large amount of cash. The cash included US$87,134 ($17.8M); over 1M Venezuelan Bolivar; Colombian peso totalling $201,000; 7,362 in Brazilian Real along with $82,820 in local currency.
Then, again, on January 19, CANU ranks raided a home at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara and uncovered just over 11 pounds of cocaine and seized several vehicles and a quantity of cash.
As a result, two siblings – a brother and sister – were taken into custody.

Just over 20 pounds of cocaine was unearthed in frozen fish at CJIA

The sister – Nickela Singh – was eventually charged for trafficking narcotics after she made certain oral statements to CANU agents. She was given a four-year jail term and fined $14M for the offence. According to information disclosed in court, Nickela singh told CANU ranks that the cocaine was hidden in the ceiling of the home and even took ranks to the exact location.
“On the day in question, the ranks asked me if I had drugs and I said yes. I told them a friend gave me the drugs to keep. The cocaine was found in my house, so I am taking ownership for it. A friend gave me it to keep”, said the 50-year-old Singh to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
The owner of D&D Pawnshop, 57-year-old Andre Gomes C/D ‘Zipper’ is now a remand prisoner after 902 grams of cocaine was unearthed at his Craig Street, Campbellville, Georgetown home on January 30.
Kaieteur News understands that Gomes had been under surveillance by CANU for some time.
Last year August, CANU had issued a wanted bulletin for Gomes after the discovery of 20 pounds of cocaine concealed in gas cylinder at a house in Craig Street, Campbellville. A 51-year-old woman, who is said to have shared a relationship with Gomes took the rap and was jailed for four years and fined $21M.
HALF A MILLION CANNABIS PLANTS DESTROYED
For its part, the Guyana Police Force has destroyed some 525,000 marijuana plants at various locations along the Berbice River, thus far for 2018.
In a statement, the law agency said that an estimated 300,000 marijuana plants – ranging between six inches to five feet in height – 150,000 kilograms of dried cannabis, a number of nurseries with about 100,000 seedlings and four camps were destroyed by fire during a 15-hour drug-eradication operation at Ebini, Upper Berbice River.
In mid January, police ranks destroyed some 25,000 marijuana plants, ranging in height from one foot to five feet, and in excess of one hundred kilograms of dried cannabis were destroyed by police ranks at locations in the Berbice River. Two weeks later, during a drug eradication exercise at Long Hook, Canje River, Berbice, ranks destroyed an estimated 200,000 marijuana plants measuring two to six feet, 100kg processed cannabis, together with two camps.
MAIN TYPES
Cocaine and cannabis sativa (marijuana) continue to be the two main types of illicit narcotics seized in Guyana.
According to the National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) 2016-2020, “Drug traffickers use a variety of methods for transporting cocaine including placing the drugs in suitcases with false compartments, in shoe soles, and in agricultural crops such as pumpkin, ochro, cabbage and other items such as achar, pepper sauce, chowmein, fish, timber and milk powder.”
“One trend seen during recent years regarding cocaine smuggling was the recruitment of young unemployed foreigners to be used as human carriers (known as “mules”) travelling through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).”
A key report in the global fight against narcotics trafficking and money laundering by the United States of America Department of State, points out that Guyana is still transit country for cocaine destined for the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and West Africa.
Entitled the 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), it shows that cocaine originating in Colombia is smuggled to Venezuela and onward to Guyana by sea or air; and that smugglers also transit land borders with Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname.
The report revealed, “Cocaine is often concealed in legitimate commodities and smuggled via commercial maritime vessels, air transport, human couriers, or various postal methods. The influence of narcotics trafficking is evident in the country’s criminal justice systems and other sectors.
Traffickers are attracted by the country’s poorly monitored ports, remote airstrips, intricate river networks, porous land borders, and weak security sector capacity.”