Ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) on Saturday intercepted more than 147 pounds of cocaine that were about to be placed onboard a KLM flight destined for Amsterdam.
The discovery was made when CANU Officers, acting on information received, conducted an operation at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
According to a statement from CANU, the officers “…intercepted 53 parcels, suspected to be cocaine, which were intended to be placed on a KLM flight destined for Amsterdam.” One person, reportedly attached to the Timehri Handling Services, was arrested and escorted to CANU’s Headquarters, along with the parcels of cocaine found. At the CANU HQ, the suspected narcotics were weighed and amounted to 66.8 kilograms (kg) or 147.2688 pounds.
Investigations are ongoing into the drug bust.
In a brief social media post earlier on Saturday evening, newly-appointed Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond had declared that the bust is “Another major win against trans-border crime! …This is about more than an arrest – it’s about protecting our borders, safeguarding our people, and defending Guyana’s good name on the international stage.”
Guyana has been working with regional partners to crack down on transnational crime, including the drug trade. Only last month, Director of CANU, James Singh, had warned that drug traffickers are intensifying efforts to use Guyana as a gateway for cocaine shipments to Europe and beyond. He had noted, however, that robust enforcement, international partnerships, and public vigilance are preventing Guyana from sliding into narco-state status.
Singh had also revealed that the majority of the narcotics found in Guyana originate from Venezuela for transshipment to other parts of the world, such as North America, West Africa and Europe.
Discover more from Guyana Times
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
