Partnerships Fuel CANU’s Crackdown on Drug Trade- CANU Director
August 19 2025
Director of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh, has reaffirmed that partnerships remain central to Guyana’s efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
Speaking on ‘Safeguarding Our Nation’ a joint services program, Singh outlined the extensive collaboration taking place at the local, regional, and international levels to combat narcotics smuggling.
Guyana, though not a producer of cocaine, is strategically located between South American suppliers and overseas markets. Once a key transit point for drugs moving to North America, recent years have seen traffickers shifting routes through Guyana toward West Africa and Europe. Most shipments enter the country from Venezuela via “go-fast” boats and private aircraft.
He emphasised that, CANU has intensified operations with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), leading to the seizure of semisubmersible vessels, the dismantling of illegal airstrips, and multi-tonne cocaine busts. One of the largest operations in 2024 involved the seizure of 4.4 tonnes of cocaine at an illegal airstrip, while international collaboration led to the interception of 4.7 tonnes traced from Guyana to West Africa.
he posited that the agency also works closely with CARICOM’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the UK’s National Crime Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and law enforcement bodies in Brazil, Colombia, France, and Suriname. Last year, Operation ZUES brought together 31 countries, resulting in 51 joint interdictions, the destruction of 31 illegal airstrips, and the seizure of 3.5 tonnes of cocaine across the region.
Singh emphasised that public cooperation is equally vital. Citizen tips have triggered several major investigations, while CANU continues to run outreach programmes in schools and communities. The agency also coordinates the Drug Information Network, which promotes education, rehabilitation, and demand reduction.
