Cocaine Vanishes from Police Custody in Guyana as Silence and Suspicions Mount

Serious questions continue to mount over the Guyana Police Force’s handling of evidence after several kilos of cocaine vanished from custody without explanation. Despite the seriousness of the issue, authorities have remained silent, raising alarms about accountability, transparency, and the growing perception of lawlessness under the current administration.

The missing drugs were reportedly discovered during a handover inspection of the Tactical Services Unit’s armoury. Initial checks revealed that several packages of cocaine, seized as part of a major drug bust, had disappeared. Further testing of the remaining packages revealed that they had been tampered with and were filled with flour instead of narcotics.

The Guyana Police Force has declined to disclose the volume or street value of the missing cocaine and has not confirmed whether any police personnel are under investigation or facing disciplinary action.

Nightly News reports that the drugs in question were linked to a major 2021 bust, when authorities seized approximately 1,000 pounds of cocaine following the crash landing of a foreign-registered Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft in the Orealla savannah. Two Brazilian nationals—Salem Nobrega De Alencar and Andre Luiz Pereira—were arrested during the operation.

The situation has revived long-standing concerns about the influence of narco-trafficking in Guyanese politics and law enforcement. Under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government, critics say the country is sliding back toward a narco-economy, with authorities either unwilling or incapable of confronting powerful drug lords, many of whom are rumoured to have close ties with government officials.

During the Bharrat Jagdeo presidency, Guyana was widely labeled a narco-state. Renowned economist Professor Clive Thomas once warned that as much as 60 percent of the country’s economy was driven by the criminal underworld. It was also during this period that the PPP government stalled the implementation of key anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing legislation.

With General and Regional elections approaching, fears are growing that proceeds from the drug trade may once again seep into the electoral process, potentially influencing campaign financing and outcomes.

Meanwhile, international observers have taken note. The 2023 U.S. State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices openly stated that “corruption by police officers in Guyana was frequent,” a charge that now appears increasingly difficult to refute given recent developments.

The disappearance of this cocaine shipment, and the government’s silence, raises not only questions of institutional integrity but broader concerns about who really holds power in the country: elected leaders or the criminal networks operating in the shadows.