Guyana’s police force and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (Canu) burnt 994 kg of cannabis on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway on Saturday 10 November 2018.[1] The cannabis went into the fire alongside 477 kg of cocaine, a combined street value the authorities put at GYD $513,310,940.[1]

Police Headquarters said the exercise took place at Yarrowkabra, with representatives of the Ministry of Public Security, the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (Nana) and the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) witnessing it.[2] The police force handed over 132 kg of cocaine and 440 kg of cannabis, and Canu 345 kg of cocaine and 554 kg of cannabis.[2] Members of the GFSL tested the drugs before they were burnt by fire.[2]

Both agencies were disposing of narcotics held as evidence in cases that had reached finality in the courts, and no arrests were reported at the burning.[1] The exercise was a joint disposal by the police force and Canu at the same Yarrowkabra site where the agencies destroy narcotics taken out of evidence storage.[2]