International collaborations disrupting drug trade

As the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) intensifies its fight against drug trafficking, Director James Singh has praised the pivotal role played by international partnerships.
Speaking on the latest episode of Safeguarding Our Nation, Singh highlighted how collaborations with countries such as the United States, several in Europe, Colombia, and Suriname have led to major seizures.
“Partnerships are key in the fight against drug trafficking. On the regional level, we work very closely with CARICOM counterparts, CARICOM IMPACTS, the GRCC…additionally, Guyana is now a member of the RSS. So all of these groups have allowed us to benefit from training, sharing of information, as well as joint operations,” he noted.
Singh explained that CANU continues to collaborate with the United States DEA, the United Kingdom’s NCA (National Crime Agency), and the Canadian RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).
He added that, more recently, CANU has forged new partnerships within South America, engaging in joint operations and intelligence sharing.
“In addition to that, CANU is part of several multi-national law enforcement working groups. We’re also members of the group called the Trans-Regional Intelligence Group,” he said.
This year, Guyana participated in Operation Zeus, joining 31 countries in 51 joint interdictions. The effort resulted in the detection of 31 illegal airstrips and the seizure of 3.5 tonnes of cocaine across the region.
Singh emphasised that such partnerships reflect international confidence in CANU and its determination to confront the drug trade, stressing that Guyana cannot fight it alone and that networking plays a vital role.