The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Monday said it has issued a wide-ranging national early warning alert following the conviction of one of three persons for the possession of ecstasy tablets.
CANU said that the alerts have been issued to emergency departments so that they can monitor for ecstasy-related cases with symptoms such as overheating and dehydration, rapid heart rate, confusion, agitation, or collapse and risk of seizures.
‘Health officials and first responders are advised that MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) tablets vary widely in strength and may be adulterated with other dangerous substances,’ CANU said in a statement.
It urged increased vigilance especially among youth and young adults because of heightened danger when MDMA is mixed with alcohol or other drugs.
CANU said MDMA-related emergencies often occur in nightlife or party settings.
Last week, Devon Grant and Lily Wills were for the possession of 164 grammes of ecstasy for the purpose of trafficking on January 3. Grant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and fined GUY$30,0000 (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) while Lily pleaded not guilty and was granted GUY$100,000 bail. She returns to court on February 2.
CANU said a third person was not charged because of insufficient evidence.
It said the three were arrested when agents intercepted a vehicle at Movietowne, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown and found a total of 164 grammes of ecstasy in ziploc bags.
‘The operation, executed based on actionable intelligence, resulted in the interception of a vehicle with three occupants and the discovery of several zip-locked packets containing brightly coloured pills. Field testing indicated the presence of amphetamine-type stimulants, which was later forensically confirmed by the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) to be MDMA,’ CANU said.
It said that MDMA is now in Guyana, suggesting ‘active distribution’ and strongly advised the public not to consume unlabeled pills, regardless of colour, shape, or packaging.
‘The tablets seized in this incident were pink and green and packaged in multiple small Ziplock bags,’ the agency said, adding that as part of the alert, law enforcement agencies will icrease their monitoring of entertainment districts, enhanced surveillance of micro-distribution networks and strengthening intelligence sharing with v enue security team
Meanwhile, CANU is reporting that it has seized over GUY443 million of illicit drugs last year during a collaborative effort with key national stakeholders.
According to figures released by CANU on Monday 235.9 kg of cocaine, 726.3 kg of cannabis, 674 grams of ecstasy, 83 grams of methamphetamine, and 9.16 grams of cannabis products had been seized between January 1 and December 31 last year.
The estimated cost for the seized drugs is GUY$433,973,770; GUY$235.9 million worth of cocaine and GUY$197.7 million worth of cannabis, representing 99 per cent of the total street value.
According to CANU, the statistics showed that cocaine and cannabis remained the two dominant threats, representing the majority of trafficking attempts into and through Guyana.
But CANU said this represents a major reduction in cocaine quantities compared to 2024, linked to a single extraordinary seizure that occurred in Region One the previous year.
The statistics also showed that the highest cocaine seizures of 172.8kg were recorded in Region Four, while Region Six recorded the highest cannabis seizure of 576kg.
With respect to arrests and charges, there were 117 arrests made, with 62 persons being charged in 2025 with approximately 82 per cent of all arrests being male.
CANU said it had also seized 13 firearms last year, with 9mm pistols being the most common weapon type. Half of all firearms recovered were directly linked to narcotic trafficking operations.
According to the report, ammunition seizures declined by 62 per cent, but the presence of 9mm and shotgun ammunition reflects continued overlap between drug and firearm networks.