In a major breakthrough targeting transnational drug trafficking, Guyana’s Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) announced Saturday that two men — one Surinamese national and one local Guyanese — have been taken into custody following the seizure of more than 45 kilograms of high-grade cocaine bound for European markets. The operation, carried out Friday in the border town of Springlands, Corentyne, also recovered a loaded Uzi submachine gun from the premises where 40 brick-shaped packages of cocaine were uncovered.
CANU has publicly identified the detainees as 35-year-old Amrishkoemar Mathoera, the Surinamese suspect, and 32-year-old Ravindra Sanakumar, a Guyanese national. Law enforcement officials have calculated the street value of the seized contraband at approximately €1.575 million (equivalent to US$1.856 million) on the streets of Europe, while its estimated local value in Guyanese currency sits around GY$50 million.
In an official statement following the operation, CANU emphasized that the successful bust underscores the agency’s unwavering dedication to dismantling cross-border drug smuggling networks. The agency noted that intercepting illicit drug shipments before they reach global consumer markets and removing unregistered illegal firearms from communities are core priorities for its work. CANU also reaffirmed that intelligence-driven operational strategies and coordinated regional cooperation between neighboring law enforcement agencies remain indispensable tools for securing Guyana’s land and maritime borders and upholding the country’s national security. No further details on upcoming legal proceedings or additional co-conspirators have been released as of Saturday’s update.