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Monday, September 4, 2006
President Bharrat Jagdeo has urged Washington to provide more resources to help fight drug trafficking in Guyana. The President has also encouraged the US to provide assistance in blocking the flow of illegal weapons into Guyana.
A U.S. government report on drugs issued earlier this year said that Guyana was struggling in its fight against the drug trade. According to the report, traffickers earn an estimated $150 million a year shipping drugs through the country constituting almost 20 percent of its gross domestic product.
The re elected president also stated that he planned to enact some tough new laws to combat money laundering and other drug related activities in Guyana. "We are strengthening money-laundering legislation. ... That will be one of my first priorities to pass the new, stronger money-laundering act, he said. Jagdeo also revealed plans to bolster a police financial intelligence unit set up to probe money-laundering. He also stated that The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration which recently set up an office in neighboring Suriname was moving ahead with plans to set up an agency in Guyana also.
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