Drug busts
US authorities have little confidence in local police -says lawyer
Stabroek News
April 13, 2004
US authorities, investigating Guyanese drug smuggling rings, appear to have a "crisis of confidence" in the local police, says a member of the legal profession.
And to adequately address the issue of the apparent non- involvement of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Police Force in high profile busts over the last five months, a holistic approach must be taken, says attorney Raphael Trotman.
Trotman told Stabroek News that there had been reports of CANU being involved in intelligence gathering resulting in high-profile drug busts in the USA.
He said from that, one got the impression that there was some ongoing relationship between CANU and the DEA and that intelligence in Guyana was done to effect arrests in the US. "So I have no doubt that there are agencies in Guyana that do assist. Take for instance the infamous cocaine in lumber, the evidence in the court is that they were able to observe when the cocaine was placed on the ship in Guyana... So it obviously meant that the British government either had operatives or they relied on some local personnel to do that intelligence gathering."
He feels the focus should not only be placed on the police force and CANU, but also on the legal system.
Trotman said one does get the feeling that the US authorities feel they stand a better chance at interdiction in the USA than in Guyana.
He said several questions arise, one of which is whether the legal system is competent or strong enough to deal with high profile matters of drugs, firearms and terrorism, among other things.
He added that the authorities might be able to effect arrests but find that the system sometimes facilitates persons influencing the outcome of matters. "It could be that the US feels that they stand a better chance at successful interdiction if they use the Guya-nese authorities for intelligence gathering, but they do their own interdiction and prosecution."
However, sources within the two organisations do not feel that they are being left out by their American counterparts.
They say the American authorities are in Guyana on a regular basis and they do talk with the local authorities. It was pointed out that if they did not have confidence in the local authorities then there would have been no collaboration.
In recent times there have been several busts, particularly in the US, which have broken up drug-smuggling rings. In those arrests it appeared as if the US authorities were working without the assistance of the local agencies.
In June 2003, the British authorities had made several arrests after some 120 kg of cocaine was found in a consignment of mora logs at the UK port of Felixstowe, a shipment made between April 29 and May 6.
In November, over 25 persons many of whom worked at the John F Kennedy International Airport were arrested on the suspicion of smuggling drugs into the US.
On February 26, former national cyclist Paul Choo-Wee-Nam was allegedly caught trying to import about 155 kg of cocaine when he was arrested at the port of Baltimore in one of the city's biggest drug busts in years. The authorities were told that a freighter carrying the drugs was coming from Guyana.
Thirteen persons were arrested in early March in New York, many of them Guyanese. And last Monday, authorities in the US arrested 13 more persons.
In the case of Choo-Wee-Nam the local authorities were unable to give any information as to how and when the container might have left Guyana and by what means.
However, Stabroek News understands that the consignment left on February 21 on MV Snow Bird, a Panama- registered vessel, from the Didco Wharf.
It is understood that the drugs were concealed in some shingles being shipped to a US resident through Choo- Wee-Nam's shipping company.
Sources have revealed that while CANU might have been part of the investigation the agency would have been sceptical about revealing its involvement since it might have been accused of allowing the illegal substance to leave the country.
One source pointed out that the local authorities face such constraints when dealing with what was described as sensitive matters.
Trotman told this newspaper that when suspects are charged in Guyana there is the feeling that there is not a level playing field as they are sometimes mysteriously released.
He said a second look should be taken at police prosecutors in the magistrates courts. He said they should be retained for some matters but once the cases are serious and indictable, the prosecution should be handled by lawyers.
He said while many of the prosecutors mean well they lack the training and the time to prosecute.
He also said that in some sections it is known that there is an uneasy relationship between CANU and the police.
Police Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix, recently told the media that part of the increased efforts by the police to combat the drug trade was to work in collaboration with CANU and also embark on more training.
Head of CANU, Bernard Truman, told Stabroek News that the relationship between his agency and the police force is very cordial and they are supportive of each other.
He disclosed that he had a good working relationship with the former police commissioner and since Felix had been sworn in he has had discussions with him and they have identified areas where they could have greater collaboration in the drug fight. One of the areas identified is for the police to give greater support to CANU at the border areas where they are stationed.
Truman pointed out that there have been joint operations mounted by the police and CANU and he disclosed that the operations were stopped because of the lack of resources and personnel at his agency.
Stabroek News understands that officers from both agencies will be part of a US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)-conducted course and that there will be a follow-up programme facilitated by another American agency.
However, Trotman feels that because of the low morale of many CANU officers caused in part by the deaths of two prominent CANU officers, Vibert Inniss and Harold Duncan, international authorities might not be relying on the local agency.
He said it might be found that some officers were committed but the structure of the unit was weak. He stated that US authorities are now making a link between drugs, weapons and terrorism, "so perhaps they feel more confident in their own abilities up there rather than down there."
On the issue of the failure of the local authorities to arrest the big drug lords, Trotman pointed out that the major players are not physically transporting the illegal substance and the likelihood of them being caught is slim.
"They may be charged with conspiracy, but conspiracy is a very difficult thing to prove, and that is why other countries have implemented things like movement of finances. But in Guyana one has to be careful because the minute somebody looks a little prosperous... I am not saying that some of it may not be drugs, but some of it may be hard work and labour and we need to - before you can make a determination of the so-called big fishes - recognise who they are..."
Felix described the kingpins as being "insulated by a maze of protection before we could get them."
Truman told Stabroek News that the authorities could not just go out and grab the kingpins. He pointed out lower level couriers, when arrested, were initially quite content to protect the drug lords.
The CANU head also pointed out that the established drug smugglers have the money to protect them.
Additionally, Guyana does not have the facilities to coerce people's co-operation in such investigations since there is no witness protection programme.
Truman said the government has indicated its intention to focus more on the drug fight and this is a good sign as it would influence international agencies into supporting the local agencies.
Meanwhile, Trotman says Guyana needs to also look at the socio-economic aspect of crime in general. "And a lot of people feel that they have no choice but to turn to these things. So that when you decide to tackle you don't just tackle from one aspect. America as well needs to do something about curbing its demand problem."
Stabroek News understands that CANU has been addressing with their Brazilian and US counterparts the potential increase in trafficking with the advent of the Lethem Road and the Takutu Bridge.
It is felt that the cocaine is shipped from Colombia to Venezuela, Brazil and Suri-name before arriving in Guy-ana, mostly by way of water.