The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) is receiving increased support from the Ministry of Home Affairs and international partners as its officers face heightened security concerns linked to operations against international drug-trafficking organisations.
CANU Director James Singh, speaking at a narcotics destruction exercise on Saturday, said he is concerned about threats to his safety, as well as that of CANU officers and other security personnel involved in anti-narcotics operations.
“Yes, I am very concerned for the safety of not only myself but also my officers and also our colleagues,” Singh said.
He noted that CANU does not operate alone, with members of the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force and other security agencies involved in drug-interdiction operations.
Singh said the security concerns therefore extend beyond CANU personnel to other members of the security forces, particularly those operating along Guyana’s borders.
However, he said support from the Ministry of Home Affairs has helped to improve the safety of CANU personnel through the provision of better equipment.
Singh said, “As you see, our officers, again thanks to the ministry, have better equipment to help us conduct our job in a much safer manner.”
He also highlighted assistance from international partners, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which he said is providing additional support as Guyana works to prevent the country from becoming a base for international drug-trafficking organisations.
“I must also thank our international partners like DEA and others, who are doing a lot more to help Guyana,” Singh added.
He said the support is particularly important as CANU works alongside other local security agencies to disrupt trafficking networks seeking to use Guyana as a transshipment point.
Singh’s comments came shortly after CANU conducted a major operation targeting a foreign drug-trafficking organisation that allegedly sought to bring narcotics into Guyana for onward shipment to other territories.
He said the scale of that operation demonstrated the level of threat facing the country and reinforced the need for cooperation among local and international law-enforcement agencies.
The CANU Director said the improved equipment and assistance from international partners are helping officers to carry out their work in a safer environment while confronting increasingly organised trafficking operations.
He said the objective is to ensure that Guyana does not become a haven for international drug cartels seeking to move narcotics through the country.
