…aims to strengthen investigation, prosecution of narcotics cases
0The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has collaborated with the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA) to conduct several training programmes intended to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of narcotics cases in Guyana.
According to Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Head Michael Atherly, “Operation Tale Horse” commenced in July 2018 and was expected to run until the end of 2019.
Atherly mentioned that NANA, along with sister agency CANU, has joined forces with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to take advantage of the training.
“NANA is coordinating joint operations between several drug enforcement units, and we have several serials down in this year that we plan to implement the operation. We will continue joint operations between those three agencies.”
Under “Operation Tale Horse”, the authorities will be cooperating to reduce illicit trafficking, advance public safety and security, and promote social justice.
“We have got constant collaboration with the DEA on a regular basis – routinely we have collaborations with them – the last operation we had was conducted at the CJIA [Cheddi Jagan International Airport] recently. A similar one was also conducted in last year at the Ogle Airport also,” the CANU Head said.
Further, he underscored that “Operation Tale Horse” was over and above the regular routine operations that the Police, CANU and the GRA carry out. It, according to the CANU Head, is a joint operation coordinated by NANA.
Atherly is optimistic that these operations will lead to further training in other counternarcotic specialties, such as digital forensics, case development, and court and legal skills.
Moreover, Atherly mentioned that over a three-year period, the DEA has been able to see lots of developments throughout the law enforcement agency.
One of those developments that he spoke of was the arrest of Guyanese hotelier Shervington Lovell, aka “Big Head”, who was nabbed in Jamaica in November. He was wanted for narcotics trafficking and was extradited to the US where he faced additional charges.
Lovell’s arrest was as a result of collaboration between the DEA Office and local law enforcement agencies such as the GPF and CANU.
“There is collaboration with the American authorities and CANU in terms of positive seizure and confiscation of assets here in Guyana. I think Jamaica is doing the same – but these things can’t be done until the case is completed and he is found guilty; his trial is still pending.”
“SOCU (Special Organised Crime Unit) has been doing searches on the various properties to ascertain what is there on the properties and if they can get further information,” Atherly noted.
In December last, while positing that a lot more work needs to be done, former United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, lauded efforts by drug enforcement agencies, both local and foreign, towards trying to put a dent in the illegal narcotics trade in Guyana.
Situated on the South American continent with strong ties to the Caribbean Region, Guyana has long been identified as a transshipment point for major drug trafficking activities.
Ambassador Holloway had asserted that it was too early to gauge the success of the DEA in Guyana, but noted that more positive results could be expected in the coming years. (Yanalla Dalrymple)
