The Government of Guyana cooperates very closely with all relevant U.S. agencies and departments but is limited by resource constraints and high levels of corruption in the country, Washington said in its 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) report released to Congress on Wednesday.
The report is largely based on activities prior to the APNU+AFC Government taking office. The report said too that the recently elected, David Granger-led government “has expressed a strong willingness to cooperate with the United States on drug control, extradition and mutual legal assistance, and other international crime issues.”
“The United States said it would welcome increased levels of cooperation with the Government of Guyana to advance mutual interests against the threat of international drug trafficking and noted that this country has shown strong interest in furthering collaboration under Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). The United States looks forward to tangible progress on investigations, prosecutions, extraditions, security sector capacity enhancement, the engagement of at-risk communities, and enforcement of laws against money laundering and financial crimes,” the report released to the US Congress on Wednesday stated.
Meanwhile, only two days ago self-confessed drug trafficker, Barry Dataram accused the country’s anti-drug enforcement agency- Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) of being corrupt, which has since prompted a full investigation of the unit’s operations by the administration. The US said that Guyana is a transit country for cocaine destined for the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and West Africa, noting that cocaine originating in Colombia is smuggled to Venezuela and onward to Guyana by sea or air.
Smugglers also transit land borders with Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname. Cocaine is often concealed in legitimate commodities and smuggled via commercial maritime vessels, air transport, human couriers, or various postal methods.
It reiterated that the influence of narcotics trafficking is evident in the country’s criminal justice systems and other sectors.
“Traffickers are attracted by the country’s poorly monitored ports, remote airstrips, intricate river networks, porous land borders, and weak security sector capacity,” the report compiled by the US Department of State noted.
Money laundering
In the area of financial crimes, the report stated that Guyana has legislation in place that could enable a more-effective response to the threat of drug trafficking, noting that the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of 2009, the Interception of Communications Act of 2008, and the Criminal Law Procedure Act (revised in 1998) were designed to enhance the investigative capabilities of law enforcement authorities and prosecutors in obtaining convictions of drug traffickers.
However, the report stated that to date the government has sought no prosecutions under these laws. It noted that in May 2014, the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force identified Guyana as a money laundering and terrorist financing risk to the international financial system after it failed to amend its anti-money laundering laws, and Guyana was under targeted review by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
However, in June 2015 the Government of Guyana passed an amended anti-money laundering act in parliament and is making progress towards its compliance with FATF standards. In its October 2015 meeting, FATF kept Guyana under review in order to monitor its implementation efforts. The United States supports the Government of Guyana’s efforts in this area and has offered technical assistance.
Anti-gang legislation
The report also cited that the previous Government started to draft anti-gang legislation in 2014, but this process remains incomplete. “The government also launched a new Drug Strategy Plan (2015-2020) in January 2015. The Special Organized Crime Unit, which was established in June 2014 to investigate suspected money laundering crimes and prosecute persons suspected of terrorism and financial offenses, became operational in 2015,” the report added.
Noting that Guyana has a drug enforcement presence at its international airports, post offices and to a lesser extent at port and land-border entry points, the report stated, the Guyana Defence Force supports law enforcement agencies with boats, aircraft, and personnel but has limited capacity and lacks law enforcement authority.
The report mentioned too that GPF and CANU reported drug-related seizures and convictions for the first six months of 2015. Through June, the GPF reported seizing 134.2 kg of cocaine, up from 92.7 kg over the same period in 2014. CANU reported seizing 568.3 kg of cocaine, and the GRA did not report any seizures. Guyanese authorities convicted 49 persons on drug related charges during 2015.
Demand reduction
On the issue of the demand for drugs, the report stated that Guyana lacks a comprehensive demand reduction strategy that adequately addresses drug rehabilitation. It observed that Marijuana is the most widely used drug in Guyana, followed by cocaine.
“The Guyana National Council for Drug Education, Rehabilitation, and Treatment, within the Ministry of Public Health, is the single government body responsible for addressing demand reduction. Non-governmental organizations also offer rehabilitation services. The University of Guyana initiated a demand reduction curriculum through OAS/CICAD funding. As part of CBSI, the United States supports a ‘Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment’ project that provides vulnerable youth with alternatives to drug-related activities and provides skills for transitioning to the work force.”
According to the report the United States supports a wide range of efforts designed to address crime and violence affecting Guyanese citizens, primarily through CBSI.