Over $1.7B in narcotics destroyed in major drug disposal exercise

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Saturday carried out a large-scale drug destruction exercise, burning narcotics valued at more than $1.7 billion, which had previously been tendered as evidence in concluded court cases.
The exercise was conducted under the supervision of the head of the Narcotics Branch, Deputy Superintendent of Police Fiona Fredericks, as part of standard procedures for the disposal of illicit drugs no longer required for judicial purposes.

According to breakdown figures provided by Police, cannabis accounted for $738,195,125, while cocaine represented $974,383,500, bringing the overall total to $1,712,578,625.
The exercise was also overseen by officials from the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) to conduct quality control testing on the substances before their destruction.
Officials said that the exercise is part of continued efforts of the GPF to combat drug trafficking and ensure that seized narcotics, once they have fulfilled their evidentiary role in court proceedings, are permanently removed from circulation and prevented from re-entering society.
Just a few weeks ago, the GPF destroyed $551 million worth of ganja at De Veldt, Upper Berbice River. During the eight-hour exercise, two fields with a combined area of approximately seven acres, with about 640,000 cannabis plants, were discovered. The plants ranged between four and 10 feet in height.
In addition, one large drying area was also found with about 850 pounds of dried cannabis. The cannabis plants, dried cannabis, and drying area were all destroyed by fire. Police estimated the value of the narcotics destroyed to be $551,767,971. At the time of the raid, no arrests were made.