PNCR says U.S. sanctions expose deep corruption in Guyana’s law enforcement

Jun 07, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News – Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, on Friday said the recent United States (U.S.) sanctions against Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh serve as confirmation of entrenched corruption at the highest levels of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The United States Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday updated its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list, naming the 37-year-old senior officer of Cane Grove, as well as businessman Paul Daby Jr., 40, also known as “Daby Ramsuchit”, “Paul”, “Rondell” and “Randell” of Georgetown; Mark Cromwell, 43, known as “Demon” and “Diamond” of Lot 40 Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, and Lot 10 Buxton, ECD; and 50-year-old Randolph Duncan for alleged drugs trafficking.

Speaking at a PNCR press conference, Norton not only said the sanctions expose the corruption in the GPF top brass but also accused the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) government of shielding criminal enterprises. He described the situation as a national embarrassment.

Norton then pointed to the lack of charges or arrests following the 4.4-tonne cocaine bust in Matthews Ridge last September that was executed by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and touted by the government as a major breakthrough.

“Let us recall that when the CANU seized 4.4 tonnes of cocaine in Matthews Ridge last September, the government made grand pronouncements that investigations were on-going. It boasted about its commitment in tackling transnational crimes. Yet, no one has since been arrested, let alone charged,” Norton noted.

To this end, he accused the government of using the excuse of requesting additional information from the U.S. as a smokescreen for inaction. Norton said, “The government’s oft-repeated statement that it will request details from the U.S. Authorities to facilitate its own investigation has become a national embarrassment and trite. It is an excuse for inaction and an indication of complicity.”

PNCR Leader also reiterated the PNCR’s longstanding criticism of the police force, asserting that it is incapable of conducting legitimate investigations due to internal criminality. “We have regularly said that the Guyana Police Force as presently constituted cannot investigate crime because it is itself a criminal enterprise,” he stated.
Meanwhile, at a separate press conference on Friday, Executive Member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Dr. Shamir Ally, echoed similar sentiments and urged international action.

“The Alliance For Change party urges the USA administration to implement visa restrictions on all corrupt persons with the evidence available at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for kleptocracy,” Dr. Ally stated.
For his part, AFC leader Nigel Hughes said, “Now we are embarrassing ourselves not only domestically but internationally it is clear that our fiends particularly the United States has lost confidence in senior members of the Guyana Police Force.”

Hughes said the country is now at a stage where confidence in the GPF is “unacceptably low.” He noted that the Force cannot continue to “pretend” to discharge its constitutional mandate in the current manner.
“It is clear that the Guyana Police Force is beyond reforming itself. It is clear that the leadership of the Guyana Police Force has absolutely no interest and pays no concern to the rapidly deteriorating lack of confidence…in the GPF as an institution.”

He then called for Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken to retire and for the restructuring of the Force.
This publication had reported that the U.S. Treasury Department has alleged that Senior Superintendent Sawh during his time as Commander of Region One (Barima-Waini) had ensured the safe passage of drugs through the region. On Thursday, it was announced that the senior officer landed on the OFAC’s sanctions list, along with three other Guyanese and two Colombians for allegedly trafficking drugs from South America to the United States, Europe and other destinations through Guyana.

Additionally, two Colombian nationals, Manuel Salazar Gutierrez, also known as “Manguera” and “Orejon” and Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo, also known as “Blacks” and “Andreas”, were listed as operating in drug trafficking through Guyana.

In a detailed statement on the drug trafficking operations, the U.S. Treasury Department alleged that Daby Jr. and Duncan operate the largest drug trafficking organisations in Guyana and rely on maritime vessels and aircraft to conceal and traffic cocaine. It was stated that the men also allegedly bribed Guyanese officials to facilitate their drug trafficking operations.

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• deep corruption, Peoples National Congress Reform, Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, U.S. sanctions

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