Drug eradication fight in Region 10 bearing fruit – Commander

Police Commander Linden Lord

Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has been identified as one of the top two locations in Guyana where several major cannabis busts and fields with cultivated marijuana were unearthed since the start of the year but much work is being done to curb the phenomena.
This is according to Commander of E Division (Linden-Kwakwani), Senior Superintendent Linden Lord, who told Guyana Times on Friday that a lot of progress has been made by Police ranks so far in 2019 for the eradication of several large marijuana fields.
He stated that by destroying those fields, it ensures that the problem would be “nipped in the bud” since the sources of supply for persons who sell and transport the illicit substance, would no longer exist.
“We are also planning another eradication exercise quite soon. Some of the men went into the areas and found some places and we are putting a team together to head to those locations. We are intensifying our searches and working to clamp down on the cultivation of marijuana here,” Commander Lord stated.
It was further explained that while the marijuana fields destroyed in Region 10 are predominantly owned or cultivated by residents hailing from Linden it should not be overlooked that persons from other areas and even regions cultivate marijuana in Region 10 as well.
“Yes, you nip it in the bud by destroying the farms and then people cannot transport marijuana if their farms and plants no longer exist. While you hear of folks getting caught heading from another region to Georgetown with cannabis, you don’t hear that much about people from Region 10 because we are working hard to destroy the fields with marijuana. That way they cannot supply anyone anywhere,” the Police Commander added.
Three months ago, Head of the Police Narcotics Branch, Senior Superintendent Kurleigh Simon had told Guyana Times that the reality of the situation is that the leading regions for cannabis cultivation since the commencement of 2019 have been identified as Linden in Region 10 and the Berbice River locations in Region Six.
Simon said that in the first quarter of the year, the Police Narcotics Branch had already completed in excess of 15 eradication exercises in Berbice, and these were done in more than 30 fields where marijuana was being cultivated and harvested.