In an effort to tackle the issues of piracy and smuggling, Guyana and Suriname have agreed to jointly patrol the Corentyne River. This was announced today at a press conference by Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Rear Admiral Gary Best, who was part of a Guyanese delegation that met with counterparts in Suriname from September 6 to 7.
Among the delegation were Police Commissioner Leroy Brummel, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, and Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Khurshid Sattaur.According to Best, the technical aspects of the operation still need to be finalized between the Attorney Generals of the two countries, after which the joint operations can begin in another six months or so.
“We will have our resources in the river, they’ll have their resources and it would be crude by a Surinamese navy that can operate in the Corentyne River, we will have a Coast Guard more than likely operating with the Law Enforcement Agencies within the Corentyne River,” Best said.
He added that both countries are trying its best to avoid conflicts as it relates to who has right to which side of the river. Guyana and Suriname are working to tackle the issues of illegal fishing, illegal smuggling of guns, ammunition, human trafficking, drugs, violation of customs duties by businessmen and illegal migration.
