Post by jono on May 20, 2006 0:09:11 GMT -5
-Joint Guyana-US operation compromised by corruption
Saturday, March 5th 2005
Cocaine in coconuts (File photo)
Guyana's fight against narcotics trafficking is ineffective, riddled with corruption, spawning increasing crime and the scale of money laundering is thought to be large, according to a US report.
The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report - 2005, prepared annually for the US Congress, yesterday painted a dismal picture of the drug fight here and its shortcomings against the backdrop of increasing massive seizures of drugs from Guyana.
Released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the report said that economic, political and social conditions in Guyana make it a key target for traffickers and there had been a jump in crime believed to be linked to drug trafficking.
Law enforcement officers took part in US-funded training but the report said that joint US-Guyana operations which were undertaken were "quickly compromised due to corruption". The report did not expand on this. Last year the US had issued arrest warrants for several suspected drug traffickers and the relevant order was obtained from the local courts. However, none of the persons sought was apprehended and there were concerns locally that these persons had been tipped off.
"Allegations of corruption are widespread, and reach (to the government) but continue to go uninvestigated. In November, a Cheddi Jagan International Airport official, apprehended upon his arrival at JFK International Airport, was found to have eight pounds of cocaine. There is also corruption within the GPF (Guyana Police Force) and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). However, the newly appointed Police Commissioner (Winston Felix) is said to be doing his best to eliminate corruption within the force and (US) DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) is providing vetting for some counter-narcotics personnel".
Fish cocaine: Drugs were found in this batch of fish (File photo)
With Felix's appointment last year, the report said that the "DEA efforts in the country have resumed full force" and various agencies are providing training to the local forces.
Law enforcement efforts are greatly hampered by the lack of adequate resources and CANU, one of the main agencies, has no real authority under the law. "Officially, the CANU is still a department of Customs, although it operates with considerable autonomy. It is unclear who holds ultimate power over the unit. The scope of the CANU's operation is believed to be largely politically regulated and directed", the report said.
It added that many CANU officers are afraid to take independent action for fear of losing their jobs - leading to minor ineffective investigations. A "great deal of mistrust" between the GPF and CANU has also weakened intelligence/information sharing, the report said. Noting the compromising of a DEA effort to work with CANU on a drug interdiction scheme, the report said that it is believed that CANU has been penetrated.
Law enforcement, it was noted in the report, was limited to arrests of individuals with small amounts of marijuana, crack cocaine or powdered cocaine along with couriers. The report asserted that government officials believe that the enforcement arms intercept only a small portion of the cocaine and cocaine paste that transits Guyana.
Cocaine flow
The report said that cocaine flows into and out of the country via its porous borders. It said there were numerous clandestine airstrips in the interior facilitating trafficking from Venezuela and Colombia and once here the drugs are ferried by road, water or air to Georgetown for onward export to the US, Europe and the Caribbean via commercial carriers.
"It is believed that most flights from Guyana to the US carry illicit narcotics on board", the report said pointing to a crackdown in March at JFK International Airport on a major New York-Guyana drug ring which resulted in 13 arrests. Though there have been arrests abroad and the dismantling of several rings, observers point out that there have been no detentions or prosecutions here, something the law enforcement authorities have been hard-pressed to explain.
Drug volumes passing through Guyana appear to be significant and seem to be growing, the report stated. While large amounts are not thought to be entering the US from here, the recent US$54.5M seizure of cocaine in the UK and a US$20-40M interdiction of 155 kilogrammes of cocaine in Baltimore "highlight the growing capabilities of Guyana's drug traffickers".
Every commodity
With respect to seizures, the report stated that "every commodity that Guyana exports has been used to ship cocaine out of the country". It cited high-profile seizures in 2004 in the US, UK and other countries and noted that cocaine had been secreted in shipments of timber, frozen fish, molasses, rice and coconuts. None of these cases, the most recent being a huge cocaine-in-coconuts bust in the UK has yielded arrests here. In the timber case, prosecutions have been conducted in the UK. Observers say that international enforcement agencies have been loath to conduct joint operations here because of the fear of them being compromised through corruption.
Money laundering is thought to be large given the size of the informal economy which the report suggested was between 40% to 6o% of the formal economy. "There are suspicions that high levels of drug trafficking and money laundering are propping up the Guyanese economy", the report added.
It argued that investigating and trying money laundering cases is not a priority for law enforcement and no arrests had been made for 2004 due to the lack of legislation. Though passed in 2000, the Money Laundering Prevention Act is not yet in force. The Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) which the legislation requires was set up in 2003 but only became functional in July 2004. It said that to date the FIU has conducted preliminary investigations on 28 cases and is preparing legislative drafts related to terrorist finance and money laundering.
Drug strategy
The report pointed out that in 2003 at the invitation of the Guyana Government, an OAS/CICAD team visited to assist in the preparation of a national drugs strategy. The report claimed that the project was sidelined by Home Affairs Minister on leave, Ronald Gajraj.
By the end of last year, the report said that Acting Home Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira reported that work on the project was complete and provided the US Embassy with a draft copy of the strategy. A finalised one has not been submitted.
Road ahead
On the road ahead the report had this to say. "Guyana's contentious and inefficient political environment and lack of resources significantly hampers its ability to pursue an effective counter-narcotics campaign. The apparent increase in corruption and amount of drugs transiting Guyana will make combating narcotics a very tough challenge".
Assistance in boosting the law enforcement arms is crucial but the report added that just as critical were democracy building programmes which provide a foundation for good governance.
"Efforts in this area will need to include strengthening Guyana's weak judicial system, law enforcement infrastructure and reforming legislation to help in combating narcotics. The US, along with other international stakeholders, must continue to press for thorough reform", the report added.
The government here has been increasingly criticised locally for not taking effective action against the narcotics trade.
www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/print?id=12957909