Georgetown: Government through establishment of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA), is moving to correct deficiencies discovered in the operations of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and identified in a recent Commission of Inquiry into the operations of CANU. According to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, NANA will soon be implemented as an umbrella agency under which all agencies in the fight against illicit drugs will operate.
He said CANU was found to be deficient in its operations, and its shortcomings are not abnormal, but “can be remedied and should be remedied”.
Self-confessed Guyanese convicted drug lord Barry Dataram had made damning allegations against CANU agents, contending that they are involved in the narco trade.
Dataram made this revelation during an interview on HGPTV Channel 67’s Nightly News: “CANU them is the most corrupted, rogue security force in this country.” He also claimed: “They are the biggest drug dealer this country has. The same drug that they seize, half of it goes back on the street.”
Dataram reportedly said that he decided to go public with this information after CANU officers had conducted a raid on his nephew’s house and removed $13 million, but could account for only $10 million.
CANU Head James Singh had rushed to deny the allegations, saying Dataram was trying to distract attention from the proceedings of the court, and bring the operations of the unit and its members into disrepute.
However, the CoI into corruption allegations against CANU made by Dataram had cleared the agency of the allegations.
NANA will be the new umbrella body to look after the countrywide anti-narcotics programme. It involves the Guyana Revenue Authority’s Customs and Trade Administration, the Police Anti-Narcotics Branch and CANU, President David Granger had announced earlier this year.
NANA’s head, Major General (retired) Michael Atherly, attends the weekly National Security Committee meetings.
A National Drug Strategy Master Plan would be published, President David Granger had said.
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