US ambassador Marsha Barnes

Outgoing US ambassador Marsha Barnes on Tuesday signed an agreement with Justice Minister Chandrikapersad Santokhi to increases the cooperation between Suriname and the DEA. The treaty further regulates the permanent presence of the DEA in the CARICOM member state.

The DEA mission aims to assist local law enforcement units in fighting the drug trade and dismantling organized crime in this part of the Caribbean region, said minister Santokhi.

At the signing ceremony Prosecutor General Subhas Punwasi told reporters on Tuesday that the DEA officers won’t have any jurisdiction in Suriname. Their presence is simply to give technical and institutional assistance and provide training for local police units in the fight against transnational drug trafficking, trafficking in persons and other related crimes.

Asked whether the Suriname DEA office will also cover Guyana since there is an increased drug trade between the two neighboring countries, Barnes said that for now the Trinidad DEA office will continue covering activities in Guyana. “Currently the DEA office in Trinidad is covering Guyana, but if that will change I don’t know,” said the ambassador.

According to Justice Minister Santokhi, the local activities of the DEA should result in a significant decline in the importation and transit of cocaine through Suriname. In pointing out the significance of the cooperation between the US and Suriname regarding fighting crime, Ambassador Barnes expressed satisfaction over the successes of the local police over the last years. Because of the seriousness, violent and transnational nature of drug trafficking “no nation alone could fight this,” said the diplomat.

In comparison with 2004, the Suriname police have seized twice as much cocaine in 2005, while several criminal organisations were busted. In 2005, the authorities seized 1,507 kilograms of cocaine and arrested 734 people for drug-related offenses, while stiff sentences were passed down to traffickers.