‘We’ll break the back of drug trafficking networks’ – Pres. Ali commends Joint Services for massive Matthews Ridge cocaine bust 

Sep 05, 2024 News

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday at the launch of the National Defence Institute.

Kaieteur News – Commending the joint services operations led by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) in the recent drug bust in Region One, President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday made it clear that Guyana will continue to work with its partners to destabilise and break the back of all criminal networks operating in the country.

The Head of State made these statements at the launch of the country’s first National Defence Institute, which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

During his address he said, “The bust is not the end of the matter, we have every intention in working with our partners to destabilise and break the back of all criminal networks especially in drug trafficking operating within our territorial space and airspace. We have already asked and we are ready to work with our partners once we are given the assets, and once we can secure the assets to deal with all the over flights that are passing over our airspace, we are ready to work with you in dismantling the global empire that drug trade has created but we need that support.”

The President noted that the partnership is not only for Guyana but for every nation, stakeholders due to the fact that how the trade is changing because of prices and demand. “And Europe is being severely impacted so all of us have a joint responsibility and as small as we are with the limited resources, we have you can be assured that we are taking our responsibility seriously and any information, any information sent that is available to us we will go after it to the best of our ability, every single operation has to be dismantled,” Ali said.

Further, he said that the recent drug bust, demonstrates Guyana’s resolve to combat narcotics trafficking and protecting the nation from being used as a transshipment point for the movement of illicit substances. Speaking to those directly involved in this illegal activity, President Ali warned, “To those who may have an ambition to use Guyana as a transnational point for the movement of illegal substances let me be clear we will come after you with the full force of the law, we will not allow our country to be used for criminal activity and we will proceed those who seek to do so.”

“We are committed to dismantling any cells which may exist locally, he added.

Kaieteur News had reported that a Joint-Services team led by the CANU on Saturday unearthed approximately 4.4 tons (4,400 kilos) of suspected cocaine, which has a current street value of US$188 million at a nearby illegal airstrip at Matthews Ridge.  Neatly stashed, the cocaine was found buried in four hand-dug pits which averaged five to six feet deep, covered with tarpaulins, woods then some bushes. Speaking of the successful seizure, Director of CANU, James Singh told media operatives at the site that this could not have been done without the collaboration of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Special Forces Unit, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the government through the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The recent drug bust made by a joint services operation led by CANU.

He said the operation is one of many that they would have conducted over the last five months with the Guyana Defence Force playing their part in helping to identify illegal airstrips within the country and monitoring them. “In this case, we were lucky in the sense that we were able to strike at the right time, whereby we were able to seize the drugs before they were transshipped to another further location,” Singh said noting this is an ongoing investigation.

Singh explained that the airstrip which was found, was not one that has been gazetted by the government and so it was built with plans to accommodate small aircraft bringing several kilos of cocaine outside of Guyana here. Noting that several camps were found in close proximity of the airstrip, the CANU Head mentioned, “The fact that this amount of drugs were found in several locations means it was waiting for the transshipment, so it’s not like it came here to go, they are waiting for the opportune moment that is why I said we were very successful in not just in seizing but detecting a new concealment method and idea as to how big the network is.”

It was highlighted that the seizure of the drugs was the second phase of the operations, with the first phase being the discovery of a quantity of fuel just a few days ago at the location. In his brief comments, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn yesterday said this operation is perhaps the largest ever seizure on land to occur in Guyana. “It exemplifies and identifies that we have been working at this problem continuously, that we are aware of certain flights to certain places illegally. The government and of course, the energy and interest of President Irfaan Ali, we are putting in much resources and many persons into getting onto this situation, we will continue this fight, we are happy of course that we have the United States Drug and Enforcement Agency with us sharing information and intelligence and backing us up on issues which have occurred from time to time but that this fight will be a long one,” the minister related.

Questioned whether this operation might be executed by foreigners, the Minister told the media that an operation of this kind could not have been done without local help, “but of course, we think this is a major operation being done by persons in neighbouring countries and investigations are underway.” Following the recovery of the 4,400 blocks of cocaine from the pits on Sunday, samples were taken by CANU ranks for testing and then later destroyed at the site.

• Joint services, Matthews Ridge, National Defence Institute, networks, trafficking