More aggressive monitoring needed at CJIA to stop drug smuggling – CANU head

In light of the recent double drug bust on Sunday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, James Singh said local law enforcement needs to be more proactive and aggressive in monitoring restricted areas at the facility.

A total of 30 kilograms of cocaine was unearthed, which has a street value of Gy$ 21 million. The first bust (28kg) was made by members of the CANU on board a BW526 Caribbean Airlines flight bound for New York, while the second (two kg) was made by members of the Police Narcotics Branch in a tractor that carries the stairs to the aircraft upon touching down.
Up to Monday morning, 10 persons were in custody, including security personnel attached to Caribbean Airlines and staff of the new Timehri Handling Service. According to a CANU source, the 10th person was arrested on Monday morning after he was named by one of the persons arrested earlier.
In an invited comment on the issue on Monday, Singh explained that while law enforcement officers are taking the necessary steps to stop drugs from getting into Guyana’s main port of entry, the mules out of desperation are finding innovative means of smuggling the cocaine.
“The fact that it is a huge bust, it means that law enforcement continues to be vigilant whether at the scanner or elsewhere. It shows also that we need to be more proactive and aggressive in ensuring that the entire area is monitored,” Singh stated.
However, when asked if members of law enforcement are involved in transporting the illicit drugs into the airport, the CANU head said that there is no indication that CANU officials are involved in the recent bust.
He added that if it is proven that members of CANU or any other agency are involved, the necessary actions will be taken against the perpetrators. Singh reiterated that CANU is working through a taskforce that was set up by the Home Affairs Ministry and with other stakeholders to ensure that the airport remains drug free –- free from anyone placing drugs on the aircraft and in passenger’s luggage.
Singh further stated that there is no particular area through which drugs are being smuggled, but enforcement officers need to pay more attention to where the breaches are made and immediately correct the lapses in security.
With respect to the discovery of 2.8 kilograms of cocaine stitched into airline blankets on September 3, which led to two persons being charged and a commission of inquiry being set up, Singh highlighted that the suspects remain cooperative.
“We are ensuring that proper investigations are carried out to see where the various areas are and we can strengthen it, as opposed to how the drugs came in which is everybody’s concern. It is best for us to identify the areas, so that they can be strengthened,” he argued.
On Sunday, members of CANU were monitoring an operation at the CJIA when it was observed that there was an extra piece of luggage in one of the baggage containers, without any tag.
Suspicious CANU officials indicated to airport and airline authorities that they wished to search the entire aircraft and gave their reasons for doing so. As a result, all the luggage was pulled from the aircraft and a thorough search was done during which 25 cocaine bricks were unearthed by the drug enforcement officers.
The bag containing the illicit substance reportedly had the names of an elderly couple, who according to records, checked in four pieces of luggage.
The elderly couple were reportedly asked to disembark the aircraft and were given the opportunity to identify their bags. In so doing, it was discovered that the bag containing the cocaine did not belong to them.