As police announced a planned investigation of an incident that occurred during last Thursday’s Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) anti-smuggling operation in Lethem, the Guyana Revenue Authority yesterday maintained that “lawful procedures were properly executed” at all times.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Saturday announced that a team from the Criminal Investigation Department’s Major Crimes Unit has been dispatched to Lethem to investigate the incident, which occurred after CANU said its ranks faced hostility during the operation.
On Thursday night, CANU said that it was reviewing the need for further training of ranks after a suspected liquor smuggler released dogs to attack ranks during the operation. It said an officer discharged a round to fend off the threat of attack after repeated requests to secure the animals were made. CANU later reported that it was holistically reviewing the incident to address the need for further training of its ranks to ensure they are able to withstand civilian intimidation.
