Guyana Senior Police Officer sanctioned by US for drug trafficking sent on administrative leave

The Guyana Police Force in a three paragraph statement his afternoon announced that it has sent Senior Superintendent of Police, Himnauth Sawh, on administrative leave following the announcement by the US Government that he is among four Guyanese sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for drug trafficking and links to Colombian drug pushers.

In its terse statement, the Police Force said it has taken note of the release from the U.S Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to sanction four Guyanese, including one of its own Senior Superintendents.

The Police said in keeping with the Force’s Standard Operating Procedure, Senior Superintendent Sawh has been sent on administrative leave following him being sanctioned for ‘drug trafficking’ by the United States.

The Police Force said he joined the Force on the 3rd June 2008 and his last posting was at the Force’s Projects Office.

Senior law enforcement officials involved in drug investigations locally have told News Source that they were not surprised by the move by the US Government since the senior Police Officer was named as a person of interest in a number of large drug shipments that reportedly took place through the Region One area while he served as Commander of the Region.

In September last year, he was removed from the area following a massive 4.4 tonne drug find by CANU along with the US Drug Enforcement Agency and the GDF Special Forces.

He was never charged in connection with that bust, but was reportedly questioned about the movement of drugs through the region. A number of other Police Officers from the area along with villagers were also questioned at the time of that investigation.