Time to get serious and stop the scourge of smuggling

Dear Editor,
Where is Guyana going when it comes to law and order? When will we, as a nation, get serious and stop the scourge of smuggling?
Recently, the media reported that two Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) officers were shot with pellets by smugglers. From what I read, the two officers were part of a GRA team that attempted to intercept a vehicle and a boat suspected to be operated by smugglers transporting smuggled chicken and alcohol at Bee Hive, East Coast Demerara.
Smuggling has taken root as a nasty part of Guyana’s underground trade. These ‘big shot’ smugglers plus a swarm of small-time hustlers doing the same wickedness do not give two hoots that their crimes cost Guyana countless millions of dollars in funds for social development. This loss deprives law-abiding citizens of much-needed benefits like improved health care, better education, proper roads and infrastructure etc.
People hell bent on gorging themselves on the proceeds from crime have been smuggling fuel, gold, food, electronic equipment, alcohol, cigarettes and much more across Guyana’s borders for decades. Much talk and some anti-smuggling campaigns have done little to slow them down, much less stop them.
Smuggling in Guyana reached its zenith in the 1970s when the Government of the day banned essential goods such as flour, onion, garlic, corned meat and salt. Even sugar was being imported in those days.
In those days, many people believed that the External Trade Bureau was controlling imports at the behest of the then Government and many basic commodities were not readily available.
Therefore, many citizens turned to smuggling to get essential goods for themselves and for resale. The Government back then obviously meant well and did not realise the extent to which people would go in order to get essential consumer items.
Today, even though all these goods are available to everyone in great abundance, the reality of smuggling remains, and it is a thriving business.
Smugglers pay no tariffs or taxes. Therefore, they undermine legitimate businesses that not only pay all tariffs, but also pay NIS and other legitimate operating expenses, thereby contributing to the coffers of this nation and enabling our Government to provide us with services that are essential to our people’s wellbeing.
This is not the first-time smugglers have shot at GRA officials. Thank God, the injuries to the GRA officers were not life threatening. I wish them speedy recovery and hope they resume their duties fearlessly, when they are healed.
Obviously, the team members were not cowards; actually, they were very professional in their approach to these criminals. Thankfully, arrests were made. Kudos to the officers and to GRA for having such committed personnel in the law enforcement department.
I suggest that we set-up an intelligence gathering network around the country. This network can particularly target smuggling hotbeds such as Charity, Corriverton, Anna Regina, Mon Repos and Mahaicony.
Our intelligence network could set up sting operations with officers infiltrating smuggling rings by pretending to be wholesalers or vendors willing to buy smuggled commodities.
The GRA and Police can also set up a hotline to facilitate getting anonymous tips that would lead to the arrest of smugglers. Also, a reasonable reward can be offered in exchange for any information leading to the identification and arrest of smugglers.

Sincerely,
Roshan Khan Sr