For the first quarter of this year, the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) seized 49.2 kilogrammes of cocaine and 2,077 kilogrammes of cannabis, among other drugs, and a total of 39 persons were charged as a result, according to the agency’s head James Singh.
The amount of cocaine seized is equivalent to over 108 pounds while the amount of marijuana seized is equivalent to 4,579 pounds.
Singh said out of the cases made, 25 were linked to marijuana discoveries, 13 to cocaine finds and one for ecstasy.
According to him, other drugs which were seized during January to March include 1 kilogramme of cannabis seeds and 266 grammes of ecstasy.
The seizures resulted in the arrest of 76 persons, 39 of whom were charged and placed before the courts, Singh said. He added that to date, there have been 15 convictions.
In addition, Singh noted that a total of 10 weapons, comprising 9 firearms and a crossbow, were also confiscated.
At a press conference held in March this year, Singh had told the media that a large percentage of the recent seizures are as a result of intelligence that the agency received from persons.
CANU has been collaborating with the Joint Services agencies, particularly the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Coast Guards, to tackle the issue of drug trafficking in the country.
The agency has also been placing emphasis on reducing the instances of movement of drugs in and out of the country.
Information gathered by Stabroek News revealed that 25 out of the 39 persons charged for drug trafficking so far for the year were apprehended in the month of March.
During these operations, millions of dollars in drugs were discovered and seized.
In the last three days of March, a total of eight persons were detained during two separate operations which were carried out in Tuschen, on the East Bank of Essequibo and Prashad Nagar, in Georgetown.
At Tuschen, ten parcels of cocaine weighting 1.4 kilogrammes along with a Smith & Wesson .40 pistol with a magazine containing eight bullets were intercepted in a minibus.
The driver of the minibus, Ackeem Brumell, 31, and two other occupants identified as 46-year-old Gary Toney and Oliton Sobers, 28 were charged on Friday.
As it relates to the interception at Prashad Nagar, the five suspects – Lena Narine, aka ‘Aunty Lena’, 62; James Herbert, aka Uncle James, 60; Kay Jennifer Butcher, 71; Jamal Narine, aka ‘Tunks’, 27 and Gregory Faria, 47, a Surinamese national – also appeared in court on Friday.
They were allegedly found in possession of 11.4 kilogrammes of cocaine and 266 grammes of ecstasy. The cocaine carried a street value of approximately $12.5 million.
Three days before, CANU arrested three men following the discovery of 1,580 pounds of cannabis in a house at De Veldt, Upper Berbice River. Massiah Durant, 52, admitted to the charge and was sentenced to 50 months imprisonment and fined $215.1 million, while his two accomplices, Shawn Lindie Snr, 44, and Shawn Lindie Jr, 29, were placed on $2 million bail each. They pleaded not guilty to the charge.
On March 22, Andrew Carew, 42, called ‘Daddo,’ of Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and 47-year-old Rayanthony Persaud of Victoria Avenue, EBD were taken into custody after they were allegedly busted with $1.7 million of cannabis at Diamond, EBD. They are presently on remand after being charged.
During March month, there were also two separate operations that were carried out at the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) during which cocaine was unearthed in envelopes. No arrest/s were made in either operation.
There were also two busts at Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle. On March 12, Elvis Fitzgerald Thuesday, a resident of Alboystown, Georgetown was nabbed with 40 pounds of cannabis worth $7 million in his luggage. He has since been sentenced to four years behind bars.
A week before, Akata Makeba Garnett, 22, of ‘C’ Field, Sophia Squatting Area, Greater Georgetown, and Malika Scott, 32, of Grove, East Bank Demerara were arrested over the trafficking of $5.6 million worth of cocaine found in mats at the said airport. They were charged separately and were remanded to prison.
On March 8, Devon Simon, 43 and Winston Hazel, 35 were taken into custody following the discovery of $6.5 million worth in cocaine at Tucville, Georgetown. The drugs was found in a motor car in which the men were in.
Days before this, businessman Ian Griffith, 45, of North East La Penitence, Georgetown was arrested after a CANU operation Ruby and Den Amstel on the East Bank Essequibo led to the discovery of two parcels of cocaine amounting to $2.6 million. Griffith and a woman, Cora Towler, were later charged.
And on March 2, five persons were detained following raids at #63 Village, Berbice and West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
In the Berbice interception, 53 kilogrammes of cannabis, worth $16 million, was found in a car occupied by three men. Later than same day, two men, Ron Reid, 49 and Nigel Dundas, 45, were arrested after they were found wrapping more than 100 cocaine pellets at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. They have since been charged.
Meanwhile, for the month of February, 13 persons were arrested after a number of operations which were conducted at various locations, including the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri and Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice.
CANU ranks on February 17 arrested Chinese national Wang Xiu Feng and two others, Bernard Persaud, 42 and Godfrey Neblette, 41, following the discovery of 8.8 kilogrammes of liquefied cocaine discovered in six carton boxes of juice at DHL Shipping, Guyana. The trio were later remanded to prison.
A day after, Esmond Jermaine Anderson, 28, of Berbice was intercepted at CJIA with more than $17 million worth of cocaine which had been concealed in a bowl with fried rice. He too was remanded to prison.
On February 8, Jamal Millington 24, of Amelia’s Ward Linden, was allegedly found with 56 grammes of cannabis concealed in two Pringles tins. The interception was done at Eugene F. Correia International Airport after a search which carried out on his luggage.
Meanwhile, the month of January did not only see the arrest and interception of another quantity of drugs but also the destruction of several acres of cannabis and the seizure of weapons and ammunition.
On January 5, CANU officers, acting on information received, conducted a narcotics operation at Nabacalis, East Coast Demerara, during which they discovered a camp along with up to 5,000 cannabis plants and seedlings and processed cannabis.
A shotgun, a crossbow and several types of live ammunition were also discovered. Jamaican national, Winston Thompson was arrested in relation to the find.
Later the month, 19 foreign nationals were arrested following the discovery of 36 pounds of cannabis on a vessel at the Guyana National Industrial Company Incorporated (GNIC) wharf at Lombard Street, Georgetown. The cannabis which carried a street value of $14 million.
