U.S. and Suriname work together to combat illicit trafficking

12-07-2012

The U.S. Embassy in cooperation with the government of Suriname and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced the launch of the UNODC Container Control Program (CCP) at Paramaribo’s Nieuwe Haven on Friday, December 7. Under the program, Suriname will join seven other countries in the Western Hemisphere to minimize the risk of maritime containers being exploited and used for illicit drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and other forms of black market activity. 

The program included remarks from Director of Suriname’s National Security Bureau Melvin Linscheer, Ambassador Anania, and UNDP Country Director Thomas Gittens, along with other port officials. Invited guests and the press then toured the CCP office.  In his remarks, Ambassador Anania, stated “We want to stop illicit trafficking while we facilitate legal trade, and keep generating economic growth for our people and higher revenues for our businesses. I would like to congratulate Suriname for joining this transnational project and for its commitment to combating illicit trafficking of all kinds.”

The United States and Suriname are working together in the fight against organized crime. Suriname’s participation in this transnational project, funded by UNODC and the United States, demonstrates the cooperation and understanding between not only our governments, but between our people as well.

According to UNODC, more than 420 million containers move around the globe by sea every year, transporting 90 percent of the world's cargo. The vast majority of these containers carry licit goods, but some are being used to smuggle drugs, weapons, even people.  To improve container security, in 2003 UNODC teamed up with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to launch the Container Control Program.

The Program is designed to assist port authorities in developing countries to establish profiling systems and modern control techniques with a view to ensuring proper control and enforcement without causing unnecessary disruptions in the commerce of legal goods.

Through the CCP, Suriname joins other countries in the Caribbean, including Guyana and Jamaica, participating in this global program.