Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad disbanded

After careful consideration, a decision was taken to disband the Berbice Anti Smuggling Squad (BASS), a release from the GRA said this afternoon.
BASS had been one of the earliest law enforcement measures implemented by the PPP/C when it came into office in 1992, Over the years, it has been tarnished by charges of corruption and excessive use of force. A suspected smuggler was recently killed by a BASS operative during an operation.
The GRA said that the Unit was established with the objective of curbing smuggling activities within the Corentyne/ Berbice area.
“An examination of the effectiveness of BASS revealed that the unit was performing below expectation, with a rapid decrease in revenue collection over the period 2012-2015, and as such, it was deemed not feasible to continue operations.
“Based on the foregoing, and the closeness in nature of BASS’ operations with that of the Guyana Revenue Authority’s Law Enforcement & Investigations Division (LEID), a decision was made to fully integrate BASS’ operations into the Regional Operations of LEID.
It should be noted that prior to the implementation of BASS …LEID was responsible for the function performed by BASS. These functions included the patrolling of waterways and roadways to suppress smuggling activities.
“Moreover, persons currently employed in the BASS Unit will be paid their full benefits owed to them once the Unit is disbanded”, the release said.