THE MOST CRITICAL COMPONENT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS IS ACTIONABLE
INTELLIGENCE

Dear Editor,

I have a fair idea of your source (the expert) on the story 'Copters
key to drug war - expert' (SN 28.11.05) and consider it somewhat
troubling that he would identify helicopters as the key asset in the
fight against drug production and trafficking. Heli-copters are
primarily an important asset in the interdiction and enforcement
pro-cess. They allow operatives greater manoeuvrability and
flexibility in enforcement activity but the most critical component
in the fight against drugs is actionable intelligence.

Obtaining this intelligence calls for detailed, long-term
surreptitious activities which seek to target key players through the
cultivation and management of sources and a meticulous attempt to
record detailed supporting information and evidence. The methods and
skills applied here are the result of learned experiences; elements
that are obviously in limited supply to local law enforcement. If the
government is truly serious then even this could be fixed with the
right amount of political will. I am not as confident as your source
that such a will exists because the process is compromised by forces
loyal to players in this industry.

I do however agree that the local trade in drug commodities is
limited and greater effort is placed in the trans-shipment process.
Air drops of 'supplies' is nothing new and some have had the gall to
make deliveries (as much as 25 bales) from fixed wing aircraft into
the Demerara river. Now, while problems exist in turning human
assets, it is not insurmountable and has to be approached in a much
smarter fashion.

What has obviously not taken off is the ability of law enforcement to
'follow the money', both because they are inadequately equipped and
no support is derived from the government agencies that have the
wherewithal to access pertinent information on money laundering, etc.

Unlike your source, I am not as confident that, with 2005 almost at
an end and six months already gone since the strategy was announced,
there isn't deliberate sloth in implementing the strategy.

Just compare how quickly the Citizen Security Project was accessed
and approved through the IDB for US$10M and the 'inability' to
request or even source the US$3.39M needed to implement the National
Drug Strategy. Out of this Citizen Security project $50M goes to the
GPF and $24M to the GDF but who knows where the remaining $1.9B is
slated to go, well... I am quite sure they are not prepared to use
$600M for implementation of the drug strategy. And a point for
correction; the DEA was not compromised in the DEA-CANU joint
operation, it was elements of CANU who were believed suspect and
hence the requirement to have CANU operatives take lie detector
tests. Mind you, it was the same time that the former Minister of
Home Affairs, Mr Gajraj, had been 'bypassed' in the process leading
up to the said operation.

There is no doubt that key assets (human and material) are not
available but the two essential ingredients to making this fight a
valid one, intelligence-based policing and a political will to do
whatever it takes to legally achieve success, are themselves sorely wanting.

Yours faithfully,

Merrill Hyman Sr.