Superintendent Krishnadat Ramana has officially taken over as Police Commander of Region One (Barima-Waini), which has recently been in the spotlight following one of the largest drug busts in Guyana’s history. His appointment was effective September 11.
New Region One Commander, Superintendent Krishnadat Ramana
The leadership transition follows the reassignment of Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, who previously held the post and has now been tasked with overseeing the police force’s transport workshop.
On September 1, a joint operation with US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the local Joint Services, uncovered 4.4 tonnes of cocaine, valued at approximately €176 million (G$40.7 billion), near an illegal airstrip in Matthew’s Ridge, Region One.
Hidden in hand-dug bunkers camouflaged with wood and foliage, the cocaine was suspected to have been brought into Guyana by air from a neighboring country and was waiting to be shipped to Europe by sea.
In the wake of this operation, President Dr. Irfaan Ali reiterated the government’s firm stance against Guyana being used as a transshipment hub for illegal substances. He emphasised that the administration would continue to work with regional and international partners to combat narcotics trafficking and called the successful operation a testament to these efforts.
“We will come after those who seek to use Guyana as a transnational point for the movement of illegal substances with the full force of the law,” President Ali declared during the launch of Guyana’s National Defence Institute. He noted that recent successes in drug interceptions were just the beginning and that the country would bolster its collaboration with international agencies, particularly in policing its airspace to combat drug trafficking from the skies.
With the investigation ongoing, there are growing suspicions about local complicity in the operation. Reports have emerged linking a senior police officer to the drug network, though acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken has said that any such claims will be thoroughly investigated once confirmed by CANU.
