GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Partnerships are the backbone of Guyana’s fight against drug trafficking,” declared director of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh, on Episode Nine of the Safeguarding Our Nation programme on Tuesday.
Singh emphasised the importance of international, regional, and local collaboration to prevent Guyana from becoming a narco-state. From working with the Guyana Defence Force to dismantle illegal airstrips, to teaming up with US, UK, and Caribbean counterparts for major cocaine seizures, Singh made clear that CANU’s success rests on cooperation and constant adaptation to shifting drug routes.
Drug trafficking poses a significant threat to national security. CANU’s mandate is to ensure public safety, protect private investments, and maintain Guyana’s international reputation.
Singh pointed out that while Guyana is not a producer of cocaine, the country is situated between suppliers in the Andean region and consumers in other parts of the world.
“In the past, we have seen drugs enter Guyana and then trans-ship through Guyana, through the Caribbean basin towards North America. Recently, there has been a shift. Now, drugs are still coming into Guyana and then trans-ship towards West Africa and Europe …” Singh said.
With law enforcement’s increased presence and monitoring within the Caribbean basin, traffickers have found it more challenging to operate, as they seek the path of least resistance.
Singh noted that most drugs entering Guyana come from Venezuela via maritime go-fast boats and private aircraft. Venezuela is now considered a narco-state. Some of the drugs remain in Guyana, while the majority are transshipped to other countries.
Asked what steps CANU is taking to address this issue, Singh outlined several operations conducted with the joint services within Guyana.
“In 2024, we seized the first semisubmersible. It was constructed here. Last year, we seized another semisubmersible off the coast, working with our DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] counterparts. Last year, we seized 4.4 tonnes [of cocaine] at an illegal airstrip, again working with the GDF Special Forces,” he explained.
Internationally, CANU has conducted numerous operations with global partners, including a significant seizure of 4.7 tonnes of cocaine from a vessel that had departed from Guyana and was tracked to West Africa. Collaborations with international agencies have led to several large drug seizures in Europe.
Regionally, CANU works with CARICOM’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security and the Joint Regional Communications Centre while facilitating officer training at the Regional Drug Law Enforcement Training Centre in Jamaica.
“All of these partnerships have allowed us to benefit from training, sharing of information and joint operations,” the director pointed out.
On the international front, CANU collaborates directly with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and has established partnerships with agencies in Brazil, Colombia, France, and Suriname.
CANU is also involved in multilateral anti-drug forums and operations such as the Seaport Cooperation Programme, the Trans-Regional Intelligence Group, and the United Nations-World Customs Organisation Container Control Programme.
In 2025, Operation ZUES saw CANU collaborate with 31 countries for 51 joint interdictions, destroying 31 illegal airstrips and the seizure of 3.5 tonnes of cocaine across the region.
“Partnerships are key in the fight against drug trafficking… We are fighting an enemy on different fronts. It is a network. And so, partnerships are key,” Singh highlighted.
Singh emphasised that the public is a key ally for CANU in sharing intelligence to fight narcotics. Tips from alert citizens often start investigations that result in major seizures.
CANU actively engages in outreach campaigns in schools and communities to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use and trafficking. The Drug Information Network, led by CANU, brings together government ministries and civil society to implement demand reduction, rehabilitation, and drug education programs.
