GPF, CANU set fire to over $2.1B worth of seized ganja

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Saturday set fire to a whopping 2765.60 kilograms of marijuana with a street value of approximately $2,181,240,000.
This comprises 2253.60kg seized by the GPF and 512kg confiscated by CANU from January 2023 to date. The operation was conducted at the former Housing Ministry tarmac on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.

According to information received, most of the seizures were concentrated in Police Regional Divisions #5 (Mahaica-Berbice) and #6 (East Berbice-Corentyne), with smaller seizures recorded in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Numerous individuals have been charged and brought before the courts in connection with these seizures.
The proceedings were attended by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn; the Officer-In-Charge of Police Narcotics, Troy Whittaker and CANU Director James Singh.
Benn, during his address to the media, emphasised efforts to bolster law enforcement s capacity in combating drug trafficking.
“We acknowledge that there is still a way to go to get to the point where we can fully deal with issues arising from marijuana possession,” he said.
Expressing concern about the widespread use of marijuana in various communities, Minister Benn highlighted the negative impact on societal norms, remarking, “Smoking a spliff in public exemplifies defiance, ignoring proper relationships within the communities, respect for the rule of law, or good development for those communities.”

He reiterated the Government’s stance on narcotics possession, stressing that even small quantities are illegal and will be met with penalties. Additionally, he underscored the pressing issue of youth involvement in drug use, citing it as a continuing area of concern for authorities.
“The very act of smoking a spliff in public exemplifies defiance and ignoring proper relationships within the communities, respect for the rule of law, and good development within the communities,” he reiterated, highlighting the broader societal ramifications of drug abuse.
In 2023, CANU seized approximately 1363.28 kilos of narcotics, with cannabis sativa (ganja) accounting for 94 per cent of the total seizures.
Statistics provided by the agency revealed that in the course of 73 separate operations, 1287 kilos of cannabis were recovered.
From 18 operations conducted, 75.17 kilos of cocaine had been seized. Ecstasy and hashish were also seized in four operations, accounting for 0.12kg and 0.10kg respectively.
A breakdown of the cannabis seized found that a staggering 796.4 kilograms were removed from Region Six. This was followed by 309.7 kilos from Region Four, 51 kilos from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), and 41 kilos from Region Five . Other areas accounted for the remainder of the seizures in smaller proportions.