France pledges over US $500,000 to fight Suriname drug ring

~~Adz:Right~~ PARAMARIBO, Suriname-THE French government recently said it would donate over half of a million US dollars toward stopping drug trafficking and other crimes from taking place along the border of Suriname and French Guiana.

The issues of drug trafficking, illegal gold mining and goods smuggling along the Marowijne River borderlands were addressed during this week’s three-day long Anti-Drugs and Money-Laundering Seminar held in Paramaribo.

Law enforcement officials from both Suriname and French Guiana agreed that ceasing illegal activities along the border was extremely challenging because the criminals were able to move to the neighbouring jurisdiction when under pressure from security forces.

According to French Ambassador Richard Barbeyron, “Suriname is an important partner for France in its fight against transnational crime” because of these activities and therefore would be receiving the US $500,000 donation over the course of the next four years.

Additionally, Suriname was urged to uphold a 2001 agreement signed with French President Nicholas Sarkozy which would enable law enforcement officers to carry out operations within a two kilometer range of their respective boarders.

Money-laundering was also extensively discussed at the seminar, as large scale criminal activity inevitably attracts such operations.

Aside from Suriname and French Guiana, Guyana, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Columbia also sent representatives to the seminar.