Senior Supt Sawh ensured safe passage of drugs through Region One

Jun 07, 2025 News

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– US Treasury Department

Kaieteur News – The United States Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has alleged that Senior Superintendent, Himnauth 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.

OFAC 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 drugs trafficking.

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.
The U.S. agency alleged that Daby Jr. traffics ton-quantities of cocaine, coordinating the shipment of loads from Colombia and Venezuela via aircraft, and utilising illegal airstrips in Guyana.  It was alleged too that he relies on a network of individuals to conceal and transport cocaine in shipping containers from the ports of Guyana and Suriname.

“Daby Jr. is also involved in the transporting of illegal gold from Guyana via maritime vessels.  Duncan traffics cocaine from Guyana to Africa and the Caribbean, with Europe and the United States as the ultimate destinations,” it was further stated.

“Sawh, a law enforcement officer of the GPF, has ensured safe passage to Colombian and Venezuelan traffickers through Region One,” the US agency stated.

Following a US$188 million drug bust reported in September 2024, this publication had stated that a senior police officer was allegedly connected with the cocaine bust at Matthew’s Ridge, Region One. A joint services team, led by the Customs-Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) unearthed approximately 4.4 tons (4,400 kilos) of suspected cocaine, at a nearby illegal airstrip at Matthew’s Ridge, Region One. It was reported that the cocaine neatly stashed was found buried in four hand-dug pits, each averaging five to six feet deep, and covered with tarpaulins, wood, and bushes.
Following allegations that a senior cop was involved in the drug bust, Senior Superintendent Sawh, who joined the GPF on June 3rd, 2008 and who was the commander for Region One, was transferred from the region to the Guyana Police Force Projects Office, where he was on duty up to Thursday before he was sent on administrative leave following the sanctions.

Regarding Cromwell, the agency pointed out that he is a former member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who is “a violent drug trafficker and associate of Daby Jr.” It was also noted that he is wanted for his connection to the 2024 abduction of a former Guyanese police officer.

It was stated that the two Colombian nationals were responsible for overseeing the clandestine airstrips used to transport ton-quantities of cocaine via aircraft from Colombia to Guyana.

OFAC designated Daby Jr., Duncan, Cromwell, Sawh, Sanchez, and Salazar for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production.

“Sanctions target drug traffickers utilising boats and narco-subs to traffic ton-quantities of cocaine, along with an alleged corrupt Guyanese law enforcement official.  The sanctions also target individuals that are operating covert airstrips to traffic drugs via aircraft,” it was stated.

OFAC stated that for decades, Guyana has been a transshipment point for the movement of drugs from South America to the United States and Europe. “Drug traffickers exploit the rivers and jungles of South America by transiting large quantities of cocaine, from Colombia and Venezuela, through the waters of Guyana and Suriname,” it was stated. OFAC outlined that Guyana’s proximity to the Caribbean, as well as reported corruption along its ports and borders, allows maritime vessels, also known as narco-submarines, to transit through its waters undetected.

It was stated that traffickers utilise these vessels to smuggle cocaine from the ports of Guyana and Suriname, across the Atlantic, to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. OFAC said, too, that traffickers also coordinate the importation of cocaine loads from Colombia and Venezuela to Guyana via small aircraft, utilising illegal airstrips in Guyana as landing spots.

The implications of the sanctions are as follows all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.  In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 per cent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.  Unless authorised by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
The agency warned that violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons.  It was stated that OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis.

Following the OFAC announcement of the sanctions on the senior officer, in a statement on Thursday night, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the government, through the Attorney General’s Office, will request details from OFAC via the Department of Justice, a component of the United States government, to facilitate further investigations. The ministry said that the details will guide the actions of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the government.

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