CANU’s $4B destruction exercise reinforces national anti-drug drive

─drugs exceed $4.06B internationally

A total of 926. kilograms of seized narcotics were destroyed in early Saturday morning, in a powerful show of Guyana’s determination to combat drug trafficking.

The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) conducted the destruction exercise at a vacant lot on Homestretch Avenue.

The destroyed drugs included 618.26 kilograms of cocaine, 308.3 kilograms of cannabis, and smaller quantities of methamphetamine and ecstasy.

The drugs carried a local street value of over $710.75 million, while their estimated international value exceeded $4.06 billion or US$19.3 million.

Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond said the exercise underscored the government’s resolute stance against the use of Guyana as a transit point for illicit drugs.

“This is hundreds of millions of dollars going up in smoke, literally. So, it sends that clear message that Guyana is very serious about our country being used as a trans-shipment point.  We will seize and destroy,” she said sternly. 

Each kilogram seized represents a life protected, a community safeguarded, and a criminal network dismantled, the minister said.

It is proof that the government’s investment of $1.04 billion in CANU’s operation in helping to is yielding tangible results.

CANU Director James Singh confirmed that all narcotics destroyed had been fully accounted for, verified, and approved by the courts.

Singh stated that most of the drugs were destined for Europe, West Africa, and parts of the Caribbean.

Moreover, Singh emphasised that even with Guyana’s weak borders, the agency still manages to stop drugs and disrupt their supply chains.

“This is a clear indication that with the support of the government, both police and CANU can continue to fulfil their mandate. The fact that we have not seen seizures outside of Guyana is a demonstration that what we are doing is effective,” Singh said

He credited close collaboration with Surinamese authorities, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and French counterparts for many of the seizures, adding that CANU’s work extends beyond national borders when it comes to putting a dent in the drug trade.