It must be considered a national scandal that on two separate occasions soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have allegedly been caught red-handed ferrying large amounts of marijuana. What is just as scandalous is that the army and the police believe that the public must be protected from or denied access to important information on what is actually transpiring at Camp Ayanganna.
Both matters are now before the court but that should in no way limit the discovery that should attend these high-profile busts. The first case in particular is egregious as it involved the use of an army vehicle ostensibly travelling to Camp Ayanganna but likely making some detour along the way as the alternative would be too horrifying to contemplate – the distribution of drugs from the army’s headquarters.
On Thursday, July 18, two ranks from the GDF were arrested by Police at about 3:45 am after their army vehicle (DFB 1786) was intercepted and searched and they were found to be in possession of 22 bulky bags containing 154 lbs of cannabis. Both men were stationed at the GDF’s Camp Ayanganna Headquarters, the police said.
Police stopped the vehicle along the Coverden Public Road, East Bank Demerara, (EBD) in the vicinity of the Prairie Hotel, and a search was conducted during which 22 bulky bags were found, the police said. The bags contained a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.
The two GDF ranks were told of the offence of trafficking in narcotics and cautioned. They were both arrested and taken to the Regional Police Division 4’B’ Headquarters, where the suspected cannabis was weighed and amounted to 154 lbs.
The two GDF ranks were placed in custody and have since appeared in court.
In its press release on July 18, the GDF said it “is committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct among its ranks and does not condone any behaviour that undermines the trust and confidence reposed in the Force by the public. The Force is fully collaborating” with the police.
The GDF added that “this incident is an anomaly and does not reflect the character and dedication of the men and women who serve”. The fact that there was a subsequent bust raises serious questions about what is transpiring in the army.
It is quite unlikely that the ranks who were held were the ones allegedly involved in this drug trafficking enterprise. They were likely low-level operatives. It is important that the GDF, the Police and the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit compromise the drug trafficking ring that has ensnared the Guyana Defence Force.
So far the public has not been advised of whether the GDF has set up a Board of Inquiry and whether it has confirmed key facts about drug trafficking involving members of the force. This is what the public seeks to have established.
What mission were the two GDF ranks executing on the night in question? Who instructed them to undertake this mission? Was a specific vehicle assigned or did the ranks decide on this one? Was the vehicle checked on security grounds before its departure i.e. it only contained items and equipment that were supposed to be transported on the day in question and nothing else? Did the vehicle make a detour on the trip in question? If so, where was this? Were the two ranks involved in similar expeditions in the past authorized or unauthorized and is there camera footage of this and logbooks that can help to establish the journeys of such trips and their ending point? The same questions can be asked of the second event.
This is the minutiae that is required to establish exactly what transpired on the night of July 18, not the shoving of the case into the court system with the belief that a veil will be drawn over it. Too much is at stake here particularly if there is even a whiff that the GDF is heavily compromised and can fall victim to activities that can undermine the authority of the force and how it is perceived by the public. One must recall the theft of AK-47s from Camp Ayanganna during the height of the worst crime spree in the country.
An advertisement was recently placed for expressions of interest in the construction of a new headquarters for the GDF. This is a wholly ill-advised venture. A new HQ for the GDF is hardly a priority. It is clearly only intended for the GDF to exhibit itself and for those in authority to affect importance in receiving foreign military missions. It can hardly be a priority. What the GDF needs are aerial and naval assets to secure Guyana’s borders. Camp Ayanganna can do with refurbishing, full stop but doesn’t require a new HQ. What it urgently needs is to convince the public that the defence force is not a den for drug trafficking and is deserving of the responsibility of defending this country from external threats. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Irfaan Ali must provide assurances to the public.
