Former Commissioner blames Gov’t for abuse of territorial integrity

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Former Commissioner of Police and Shadow Security Minister, Winston Felix says the involvement of Foreign Drug Traffickers in the recent discovery of a Self Propelled Semi-Submersible in the Waini River cannot be denied and believes the administration must accept responsibility for the apparent abuse of territorial integrity.

During a telephone interview with iNews today (Wednesday, August 20), Felix says he is convinced that the steady penetration of Guyana’s borders by the drug trade is being allowed to happen; citing the administration’s obsession with fuel smuggling rather than drug smuggling.

He said he is not going to debate the likelihood of who was involved, whether they are Guyanese but made the case that the technology is not available here and had to have been brought in Guyana.

The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit had said it is suspected that the vessel was slated to be used in the drug trade and was already fitted with a diesel engine and steering wheel, navigation and other machinery.

Felix said when the current regime took office in 1992; it knew that the area was home to many illegalities.

“It is known that in the North West, boats and planes come with drugs,” he told iNews; adding that the administration has failed to properly police the area using the strength of the Guyana Defence and Police Forces.

He said the administration is also well aware that the GDF and GPF do not have the resources to effectively tackle the drug trade and seems to be doing nothing about that either.

 “The administration is showing very little interest.”

The Former Commissioner cautioned that drug traffickers are constantly looking for ways to make the trade less detectable and called on the administration to act now.

The operation also found a camp consisting of three structures – accommodation, workshop area and generator. The accommodation had the capacity to sleep approximately 12 persons, there was also a kitchen area located within the accommodation.

Local law enforcement as well as foreign anti- narcotics experts strongly believe that the semi- submersible vessel was built by a known Colombian drug cartel with links throughout South America.

The materials used, the design and organisation behind its construction bear the hallmark of the Colombian drug cartel which had been widening its transshipment points for drugs, particularly shipping cocaine into North America.

iNews learnt that a similar submersible craft was located in a nearby South American country recently and this might not be the only one built.

The local Customs Antinarcotics Unit (CANU) has been ‎praised by number of counter-narcotics agencies for making this major breakthrough in its fight against the narcotics trade in Guyana.