GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond says Guyana is making strides in fighting the drug trade, but dismantling the cartels and bringing down the kingpins will take years of careful work.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Walrond pointed to the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit’s (CANU) record seizures last year as proof that progress is being made. In 2024, CANU confiscated and destroyed about 6,700 kilograms of narcotics, nearly five times the 1,363 kilograms taken in 2023. More than 90 percent of last year’s haul was cocaine, including 4,400 kilograms linked to a €176 million bust in Region One (Barima-Waini) in August.
Despite the major seizures, Walrond admitted the harder task lies in pursuing the figures who bankroll the trade. “It takes a lot more intelligence, a lot more police work to get to the leaders of the cartel and bigger fish,” she explained. “They are not physically in possession of the drug, and it sometimes takes years of careful policing work to gather the evidence needed for a successful prosecution.”
Figures from CANU show that in 2024, 71 drug-related cases were filed, leading to 82 arrests. That marked a decline from the previous year, when 93 cases were filed. Of the 54 trafficking charges laid last year, 11 were later withdrawn or dismissed.
Still, Walrond stressed that efforts on the ground are paying off. “There is a successful record of getting marijuana and cocaine off of the streets, and we have been seeing those drug busts,” she said.
For now, Guyana’s drug fight is making headlines for record seizures. But Walrond’s message was clear: bringing the real players to justice will be a long game.
