Use funds seized from criminals to fund fight against crime

Dear Editor,
Members of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) are doing wonderful work by apprehending drug dealers and smugglers at Guyana’s official ports of exit and entry, especially airports.
I compliment them for doing great service to our country, and I urge them to pay the same attention to other well-known hot spots for smuggling, such as stellings and landings along rivers and creeks.
I believe the huge amounts of cash and valuables seized from drug dealers and smugglers should be used to find new ways to reach the heart of criminal operations. I strongly suggest that a significant portion of seized assets should be used as reward money, or to pay informers and engage private investigators to help in CANU crackdowns with extremely secure confidentiality.
Every citizen knows the names of the ‘Big Bosses’ linked to drug dealing and smuggling inside and outside Guyana. Find ways to recruit undercover agents or informers; pay them well, and ensure they are not identified. Residents in every area know who are the drug users, dealers and smugglers living among them. Follow the users to the dealers; follow the dealers to the smugglers; and so on, until you get to the ‘Big Bosses’.
Further, when persons are convicted, the authorities can consider using them as informers to track the bigger dealers and suppliers in exchange for reduced sentences or forgiveness, provided that the information provided is useful and leads to further arrests.
It hurts me terribly to see the negative impact the drug trade has on crime, and the way it destroys the lives of my people, their families and communities. Many youths start with excessive use of marijuana, then get addicted to cocaine. When they become addicts, they would steal, hurt, and even kill over and over again to get drugs. Some have even murdered their own parents and burned down family homes. Drug dealers also would do anything to secure their business and profits, and do whatever it takes to protect themselves and their interests.
The criminals who do these things get exposed sooner or later. Even the ‘big bosses’ eventually lose their honour, dignity, respect, and even their lives just for piles of dirty money. Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar was once the biggest drug boss in the world, but he was shot down like an animal, and died in disgrace as a sick scoundrel. After his death, his family wanted to go into exile, but no country wanted them.
Escobar was called “The King of Cocaine,” and some foolish Guyanese used to admire him. He had billions of US dollars, and he used to run Colombia through bribery and murder. Such criminals lose their humanity by hurting others severely, and this curses them and they end up dying in prison or being killed cruelly. Escobar ended up running and hiding, but he was cornered and shot dead without mercy.
The illegal drug trade is one of the greatest evils ever inflicted upon humanity. It destroys persons caught up in it, the societies that gets overrun by it, and it infects the core of civilisation. Drugs do horrendous damage to the body and soul. Users are not only killing themselves with drugs, they are also murderers or potential murderers, because they would do anything to satisfy their craving.

I respect the work of CANU for bringing constant pain to those trying to get rich quick through smuggling and drugs. I want CANU to continue to go after these criminals relentlessly, and continue to bring great grief upon those who want to enjoy a big life by poisoning people and destroying society for generations.
Alcohol is a legal drug that I think should be illegal. For their own profit, big companies encourage excessive consumption of alcohol, despite clear evidence that alcohol abuse is causing enormous destruction. Lives have been lost, serious injuries have been suffered, and countless families have been destroyed as a result of crimes committed by persons under the influence of alcohol.
Punishment for serious crimes is too mild in Guyana. When major drug dealers are convicted, too many of them get off with a slap on the wrist. I think 20 years’ imprisonment should be the minimum penalty for serious drug offences, and fines should be triple the value of the drugs involved, with long jail sentences to be applied immediately if the fines are not paid.
I believe the properties and assets of persons convicted of serious drug crimes should be confiscated immediately upon their conviction. The authorities should scrutinise their estates; and if it can be proved that they transferred any financial or property assets obtained through crime to their relatives, friends, associates or companies, those should be confiscated also.
Large-scale smuggling and drug dealing have expanded and diversified into a number of fake businesses around the country. These criminals have become very vicious, because their money gives them the power to penetrate the highest levels of law enforcement agencies, the legal system, political parties, civic organisations, and even Government.
Criminals get enormously wealthy from crime, and they use it to form companies and corporations to make it easier for them to do crime on an even bigger scale, and pass it off as legitimate business while laundering money at the same time. This is what drives the constant smuggling of items in the country, including drugs, while foreign currency goes out of the country.
I support CANU every step of the way as they fight against these vagabonds. Use funds seized from criminals to fund CANU’s fight against crime. When the big criminals are caught, jail them for life, because their criminal activities have given so many others a life sentence of pain and misery.

Sincerely,
Roshan Khan, Snr