CANU ranks to be trained to detect drug trends

…benefit from other specialised training

Scores of ranks attached to the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) will benefit from the agency’s annual staff training programme over a five-day period that will expose them to in-depth training in specialised areas.
Training will be facilitated in the areas of drug trends, leadership and professionalism, interviewing techniques, search techniques, immigration operation and examination of documents, forensic awareness, customs operations, and examination of documents.
At the opening ceremony of CANU’s annual training, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan stated that this activity was very timely and relevant in the work of law enforcement officials and the areas that they would be intensely focusing on are essential in the fight against drugs.
“It is very significant at this time when we have the trade in narcotics in the Region and internationally and some say at its highest point. It is reaching over the trillion-dollar level internationally… I would want whenever the tutors and the mentors and the lecturers come, you (CANU ranks) ensure that you take it all in for purposes of understanding so that you can be that little soldier in that larger war or battle for purposes of ensuring that we have a better day in relation to this scourge of our society called drugs,” he told the gathering at the opening ceremony.
He expounded on the negative effects that narco-trafficking and the narco trade have on a country’s development as well as the detrimental results that affect average citizens.
According to the Public Security Minister, another negativity that results from the drug trade, which supports the fact that it is necessary to curb its prevalence, is the distortion of an economy. This in turn results in potential investors refusing to do business in the country since they will opine that such a country is “a drug territory”.
He also pointed out that the drug trade also has a direct negative culturally impact on citizens of any country and especially on the youths, since they observe persons involved living lavish lifestyles and sometimes want to live such a life when they get older.
“Our young people seeing that become very suggestible and they then want to live that lifestyle and then the principles of a good society where wealth must be accumulated as a matter because of working; you have all of that being toppled over, capsized for the purpose of getting so much money on doing a drug run.”
According to Ramjattan, drug-related crimes also spawn a variety of other criminalities, one of which is the crime of Trafficking In Persons (TIP). As such, he reiterated the need to ensure that law enforcement officials continue to put dents into the drug trade business here in Guyana.