Drug dealers ‘attempting to rebrand’ with new packaging – CANU Head

The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) has discovered a new trend where drug dealers are attempting to rebrand their packaging for the sale and transport of illegal drugs.

“This is an attempt, in my opinion, to rebrand in the sense of just having a bit of marijuana in a Ziploc bag, if you put it in a shiny packet with a fancy name to entice or claim that is marijuana from overseas or whatever, drug dealers try to lure persons into using it,” the head of CANU James Singh told the News Room during an interview on Tuesday.

Singh has issued a warning the public about this new trend and is urging parents, teachers, and members of the public to report it the police or CANU.

CANU recently released photos of edible drugs disguised as cookies in a packet labelled ‘Trips Ahoy’ along with other creatively designed packets such as ‘2 da Moon’, ‘Flammin Kush’, and ‘Star Buds’ among others.

“What we have discovered as part of our operations with the Guyana Police Force and conducting search operations across the country in various communities, [are] several different types of packaging or brands in certain areas, shops, stands where we have found narcotics mainly marijuana,” Singh told the News Room.

He explained that the edible drugs in the form of gummies and cookies might have been illegally imported from the United States.

“Persons would have [sneaked] that into their suitcase or barrel or wherever, so our aim here along with the police force, customs and other agencies are to sensitise persons if you see these packets, alert the police, alert your teacher, alert your parents, alert your friend because it is being used to conceal marijuana.”

Additionally, the CANU head warned that aside from these items being illegal in Guyana, they have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Right now, as part of our mandate, our aim is to stop the flow of narcotics through communities, whether it is marijuana, ecstasy [and] cocaine, so there is no particular age group, no particular community we just want to sensitise people,” Singh lamented.