US-sanctioned Guyanese police officer sent on leave

Last Updated on Saturday, 7 June 2025, 12:15 by Writer

Two days after the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was busy wishing Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh a happy birthday, the United States (US) Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned him and three other Guyanese for illicit drugs, prompting the Guyana government to send him on leave.

Following is the GPF’s statement:

The Guyana Police Force has taken note of a Report today by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to sanction four Guyanese, one of whom is Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh.

In keeping with the Guyana Police 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.

Senior Superintendent Sawh joined the GPF on June 3rd, 2008. His last posting is at the Force’s Projects Office.

Mr Sawh was the Commander for Region One (Barima-Waini) last September when a joint operation by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) unearthed 4.4 tonnes of cocaine buried underground near an illegal airstrip on the outskirts of Mabaruma.

Mr Sawh was transferred less than one week ago to the vehicle workshop at Eve Leary and subsequently moved to the Special Projects Office. He was never charged with any offence.

The others named by OFAC as part of a drug trafficking ring are Guyanese Paul “Randell” Daby Jr of 127 D’Aguiar Park, Georgetown; former policeman Mark “Demon” Cromwell of Lot 40 Vigilance, East Coast Demerara and Lot 10 Buxton, East Coast Demerara; Guyanese-Venezuelan Randolph “Rudolph” Duncan, and Colombians Manuel Gutierrez Salazar and Yeison Andrez Sanchez Vallejo.

None of the Guyanese named in the OFAC sanctions list on Thursday was ever knowingly arrested or charged in connection with the drug bust in Mabaruma.

Mr Cromwell, a former policeman, is well-known to law enforcement agents in Guyana for several serious offences.

OFAC’s imposition of sanctions on the four Guyanese comes less than one year after Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and his son, presidential hopeful Azruddin Mohamed, were sanctioned for the alleged evasion of US$50 million in taxes due to Guyana for the exportation of more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold.