In an effort to curtail the movement of criminals and the flow of guns and drugs across their borders, Guyana and Suriname signed a security accord on Monday aimed at strengthening co-operation among law enforcement agencies.
However, no agreement was reached on the extradition of Surinamese nationals to this country in case of any criminal conduct as the former Dutch colony continues to uphold its laws against extradition of its citizens.
Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, signed the agreement with his Surinamese counterpart, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, on Monday in Nickerie, Suriname. He told reporters yesterday that while Paramaribo did not have an extradition treaty with Georgetown, recent agreements reached at the level of the Caricom Heads of Government have made provision for a Caricom arrest treaty and a mutual legal assistance treaty. He noted that where bilaterally Guyana and Suriname could not cooperate in the transfer of a criminal, through those measures at the level of Caricom, it might be possible.
