Joint operation uncovers more than $40 billion worth of cocaine in bunkers near illegal airstrip on Matthew’s Ridge

More than four tonnes of cocaine, with a street value of approximately G$40.7 billion (Euro 176 million), was recovered from several bunkers at an illegal airstrip near Matthew’s Ridge, Region One (Barima-Waini).

The narcotics, found near the Clandestine Airstrip on Saturday, were destroyed after samples were taken for further testing.
In a statement on Sunday, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) said its agents, in collaboration with the Special Forces Unit of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and with support from the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), conducted an operation in Region 1 on Saturday that led to the discovery of the illegal airstrip.
A subsequent search of the area resulted in the discovery of 4.4 tons of cocaine. Law enforcement officials believe the drugs were brought to Guyana from neighboring countries and stored there until further shipment to Europe.

CANU Director James Singh told reporters at the scene that the illegal airstrip was built with the idea of ​​accommodating small aircraft carrying several kilograms of cocaine from outside Guyana.
According to Singh, Saturday’s discovery was the second phase of an ongoing operation with the GDF to identify and monitor illegal airstrips across the country. He revealed that a few days earlier, Joint Services forces had found a quantity of fuel and with the help of people in the area, further investigation had led to the unearthing of the huge cocaine find.
The CANU director said that based on information shared with the DEA, the ranks suspected that the narcotics were hidden underground. As a result of due diligence, the bricks of cocaine were discovered buried in bunkers/pits that had been dug by hand, approximately five to six feet deep and covered with tarps, wood and brush.
“(The drugs) were found in four pits or bunkers that were neatly camouflaged during a 30-minute walk into the jungle, in different directions. There were also different camps in the jungle. The fact that this quantity of drugs was found in different locations means that it was waiting for the transshipment… They were waiting for the right moment. That’s why I said that we not only managed to seize a new method of concealment but also detected (and got) an idea of ​​how big the network is,” Singh explained.
The CANU chief further disclosed that when the Joint Services ranks first arrived in the area a few days ago, they spotted several persons escaping into the vast jungle. The ranks however managed to arrest one suspect who has since been apprehended.
Singh pointed out that this successful operation was a direct result of the support the Guyanese government is giving to the local Joint Services to combat drug trafficking here. He also underlined the importance of working with international partners.
“That’s why international cooperation is important, because based on the experiences of our colleagues at the DEA, we were able to share information and intelligence and conduct operations like this that resulted in a major drug seizure with the assistance of the Joint Services,” he noted.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Interior Minister Robeson Benn, who on Sunday accompanied police officers in Region 1 to witness the destruction of what is being described as the largest seizure of cocaine locally and possibly regionally. He explained that they did not have the resources and proper logistics to transport the narcotics from the backcountry location, and so the decision was made to destroy them on site.
The narcotics were only removed from the bunkers on Sunday, when top security officials traveled to Region One to witness their destruction after they had been tested and weighed.
Minister Benn noted that much more needs to be done, but that the government is investing and will continue to invest in equipping and strengthening the capacity of local law enforcement agencies, with the support of international partners such as the DEA, to tackle illicit trafficking in the country.

“I emphasize again that Guyana is a victim of this illegal type of criminal activity. We do not produce cocaine, we do not transport it, we do not manufacture weapons, some of which you see here – some (of) guns… Drug trafficking is associated with the other elements of transnational organized crime – money laundering, arms smuggling, murders that are unknown and in many cases unsolvable, and a general decline in law and order in any environment where it prevails. We do not want to get to that point,” the Minister of the Interior stated.
Benn further stressed that members of communities in the interior of Guyana should be vigilant of illegal activities around them. He urged them to cooperate with the government in continuing efforts to prevent drug trafficking within the country and through the maritime space.
The minister suspected that the cocaine found was part of a foreign drug trafficking network, but that local residents may also have been involved.
“Of course, an operation like this (narcotics) could not have been carried out without local help, but of course we believe this is a major operation being carried out by individuals from overseas, well, neighbouring countries, and the investigations are ongoing. There are a lot of points and information that need to be looked at and shared to come back and collect and so we will get better answers as this progresses over the next few weeks,” Benn noted.
Meanwhile, an official from the local DEA office in Georgetown believes that this drug bust is not only one of the largest in Guyana, but probably in the region. He noted that the packaging of the narcotics suggests that they were likely transported via sea/ocean.
“What I can tell you is that most of these drugs are going on ships to Europe and that is why they are packaged this way and you can see who owns the drug and how much is in each package,” said the DEA official, who has worked with the Guyana government for more than a year to combat drug trafficking here.
Meanwhile, Colonel Sheldon Howell, Acting Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), said this latest cocaine seizure is the culmination of months and years of relationship building, cooperation and intelligence sharing between all agencies responsible for drug trafficking and illicit trade.
“We support special operations and airlift logistics… (This success) means we have to keep working and we have to keep investing in capacity building, both in human capital and equipment,” the GDF official noted.
Saturday’s drug seizure underscored the unwavering commitment of CANU and the government to combat drug trafficking in Guyana and to work with international partners. CANU has led Guyana’s counter-narcotics efforts, resulting in previous seizures of aircraft and semi-submersibles and the arrests of leading drug traffickers. (G-8)