CANU officers recover gun, cocaine during anti-crime operation

Georgetown, Guyana: The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) conducted an operation at the Agricola in East Bank Demerara between Third and Fourth Streets on Monday. It is to be noted that police recovered illegal items from the scene

During the anti-crime exercise, the investigating officers found one .45 ACP pistol with nine (9) matching rounds and a 12-gauge shotgun along with one cartridge. 

Apart from such items, the CANU officials also discovered a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems which are suspected to be cannabis. In due course of time, they sent the recovered items to the laboratory. 

Noting this, the laboratory tested positive for cannabis and weighed approximately 162 grams. The investigation of the matter and identification of the suspect is ongoing. 

If sources are to be believed, it is said that the Guyana Police Force is recording the highest cocaine seizure in over ten years. According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Law Enforcement stated that in recent years, drug traffickers have been using small aircraft to transport and smuggle cocaine. 

The reports added that drug traffickers ‘Exploit the country’s poorly monitored ports, remote airstrips, intricate river networks and land borders.

Recently, on January 20, police arrested Zacharie Scott, age 22-years-old, for allegedly smuggling cocaine in bags of jumbo shrimp while travelling to New York from an American Airlines flight from Guyana. 

According to the reports, it stated that Scott is a US citizen and has lived in Guyana for quite some time. He was apprehended at John F. Kennedy International Airport while going through customs at JFK. The information was confirmed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. 

During the customs screening process, the officers checked the bags and discovered loose clothing and multiple packages of frozen jumbo shrimp, each wrapped in sealed plastic. When the officers cut the bags, they found brick-shaped objects filled with a white, powdery substance. 

Upon testing, the packets were found to be filled with cocaine. The suspect was taken into custody immediately, and further enquiries are ongoing.