The police in a statement last evening denied that drugs pass “freely” across the Guyana-Suriname border as reported by this newspaper, pointing out that there have been interceptions and law enforcement cooperation between the two countries is very high at the moment.
A statement by the Police Public Relations Department said that police took umbrage at an article published in the Stabroek News of Sunday May 12, 2013, under the caption ‘Police aware of Guyana, Suriname cross-border drug trafficking.’
“Cognisant of the article, Deputy Commissioner Law Enforcement Mr Seelall Persaud, DSM, admits to having spoken with a Stabroek News reporter on the issue of drug trafficking between the two countries. He did indicate in that interview that the police are aware of the two-way flow of drugs across the Guyana-Suriname border, but strongly denies having told the reporter that the drugs are passing freely as is being implied in the article,” said the police statement.
“The Guyana Police Force wishes to emphatically state that law enforcement cooperation between Guyana and Suriname has been improving significantly and is at a very high level currently. This improvement has been facilitated by the intervention of the political directorate of both countries,” the statement said.
The statement said that at the moment there is an established point of contact in both police forces, and also with the divisional command of ‘B’ Division (Berbice) and Nickerie, to address a range of law enforcement issues including the sharing of drug trafficking information as well as investigations on both sides of the border.
“There are also structured engagements at the technical level to deal with issues inclusive of crime and drugs,” the statement said.
The police said that over the past three years 80 kilogrammes 489 grammes of cocaine, 65 kilogrammes 842 grammes of cannabis sativa (marijuana), and 91 grammes of ecstasy, that were intended for trafficking to Suriname, have been seized by law enforcement agencies comprising the Guyana Police Force, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad at or near the port and crossings between the two countries.
“The Guyana Police Force is also aware of significant seizures of narcotics being made by the law enforcement authorities in Suriname,” the statement said.
