Police in Region Ten conducted a narcotics eradication exercise at Ebini, Berbice River on Sunday, during which they discovered and destroyed a large cannabis farm and a makeshift camp. No one was arrested in connection with the operation.
According to a police release, the exercise was carried out between 12:00 hrs and 16:30 hrs, and involved ranks from the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force (Coast Guard). The team located a cannabis farm, approximately four acres in size, with 132 beds of cannabis plants.
The police said that each bed had 76 plants, ranging from 12 inches to five feet in height. A total of 10,032 cannabis plants, with an average weight of 334.4 lbs, which is equivalent to 151.681 kilograms, were found. There was also a quantity of dried cannabis, which weighed approximately 34 lbs, equivalent to 15.422 kilograms.
The cannabis plants, along with a makeshift camp, were destroyed by fire. The police said that the operation was part of their ongoing efforts to combat the cultivation and trafficking of illicit drugs in the country.
The location and the history
Ebini is a small community along the Berbice River, about 50 miles south of New Amsterdam. It is known for its agricultural research station, which was established in 1963 and is managed by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
Ebini has also been the site of several previous cannabis eradication operations by the police. In January 2024, the police destroyed 20 acres of cannabis farm with 50,000 plants and 500 pounds of dry cannabis at Ebini. In July 2019, the police destroyed 12 acres of cannabis farm with 25,000 plants and 225 pounds of dry cannabis at Ebini. In January 2018, the police destroyed 10 acres of cannabis farm with 22,500 plants and 200 pounds of dry cannabis at Ebini.
The law and the penalty
Cannabis is illegal in Guyana, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 1988. The act prohibits the cultivation, possession, trafficking, and consumption of cannabis and other prohibited substances. The act also empowers the police to search, seize, and destroy any cannabis or other prohibited substances found on any premises or land.
The penalty for cultivating cannabis in Guyana is a fine of not less than $30,000 nor more than $50,000, and imprisonment for not less than three years nor more than five years. The penalty for trafficking cannabis in Guyana is a fine of not less than $30,000 nor more than $100,000, and imprisonment for not less than five years nor more than ten years.
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