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CANU battles new monster as Ecstasy, other synthetic drugs flood market
Local law enforcement officials have expressed increasing worry over the growing popularity of synthetic drugs like Ecstasy.
From l-r –Deputy Head, CANU, Lesley Ramlall; Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and NANA’s head, Major General (ret’d) Michael Atherly.
In fact, more attention has to be placed in fighting the emergence.
The disclosures were made yesterday at the start of a week-long training for scores of staff members of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU), at the Georgetown Club.
It is being held under the theme: “Stemming the flow of Narcotics through capacity building and Inter Agency collaborations”.
According to Deputy Head, Lesley Ramlall, CANU, which leads the fight locally to halt and reduce narco trafficking, during an international conference earlier this year in Azerbaijan, it was projected that drug flows will increase dramatically.
This would come even as there was the destruction of the large plantations of the Coca plant in one of the region’s biggest producers.
Despite this, cocaine producers ramped up their production, surpassing expectations for this year.
According to Ramlall, unprecedented seizures are clear indicators that demand for narcotics continues to increase.
In the Caribbean, there have not been any significant seizures in Suriname earlier this year. Ramlall warned that there is nothing to smile about.
Over the last eight years, the amount of cocaine produced has more than quadrupled.
In 2010, 35 metric tonnes passed through the region. The figure was 184 metric tonnes in 2018.
CANU ranks at the training yesterday.
In the face of this, the destruction of five fentanyl laboratories in last five years in one country had got the attention of law enforcement.
In Guyana, Ramlall explained, this was no exception.
The last year has been drug trafficking reduced with the number of persons attempting to smuggle through the airports recording a marked decrease.
Last year, one of the country’s alleged big player, Shervington Lovell, was arrested and taken to the US, clear indications that the local efforts are paying dividends.
Ramlall credited CANU’s success to better intelligence sharing, increased government support and improved strategy to dismantle and confiscate assets of drug traffickers.
The CANU official expressed deep worry with the increased use of synthetic drugs, particularly Ecstasy.
He targeted greater inter-agency collaboration and education.
The official acknowledged the trans-national challenged of drug trafficking.
At the event were Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, and Major General (ret’d) Michael Atherly, of National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA).
There were also representatives of the Financial Intelligence Unit and other related agencies.
According to Ramjattan, narco trading has spill-offs that are disastrous and there must be capacity to fight it.
He pointed to a recent case at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport where a CANU rank was caught on video allegedly attempting to shakedown a female traveller.
The traveller posted the video online.
Yesterday, Ramjattan said there must be more training on leadership and professionalism with no place for misbehaviour.
According to the Minister, drugs corrupt governments, corrupt commercial sector and law enforcement officials with traffickers uncaring about the consequences on children.
In fact, Ramjattan said, the entire focus is on making money.
According to the Minister, the fact is drug trafficking distorts the economy, with statistics available to prove it.
While for some the economy looks good, it is not. In fact, it chases investors away.
There are also bad influence and role models with the falsehood that there is easy money to be made.
According to Ramjattan, it is a fact that the drug fight will never be easy with even the US finding hard to halt it.
To compound matters, drug traffickers are running their operations like corporations with layers and different departments for transportation and Customs.
It also leads to trafficking in persons, among other things.
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