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Pressure mounts for CJIA squatters’ removal after stolen items, drugs found
The seizure of suspected stolen motorcycles and a significant amount of marijuana in Timehri, not far from the airport, has prompted Government to again insist that it wants residents from the area removed.
Scores of families living in the North Timehri area are squatting,
Government has insisted that squatters in Timehri airport vicinity will have to remove after drugs and stolen items were found recently.
Government has claimed. The administration now wants them removed to make way for a US$150M expansion which is currently in the way.
The settlement is just northwest of the current terminal building and runway.
According to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) yesterday, Government is alarmed about a number of incidents.
A 17-year-old living in the Timehri Fire Station area was recently slapped with several break and enter charges and has been remanded to prison until March 24, 2014 to stand trial.
During the early hours of November 14, last, Timehri police officers raided the abode where Ronslyn Clarke resides and confiscated four motorcycles (three of which were in parts); one camera; one refrigerator; three cell phones; two laptops and one pair of computer speakers.
“Ironically, police raided the same dwelling on November 1, 2013 and ultimately arrested and charged a couple – Stanley and Nikita Johnson – following the discovery of 1,406 grammes of cannabis.
“Stanley is currently serving three years for the drug charge while his wife was sentenced to 18 months,” the airport said in a statement.
The arrests of these individuals have prompted Minister of Public Works and Transport, Robeson Benn, to reiterate his concern for individuals living in such close proximity to the country’s main port of entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
According to him, the vulnerability of CJIA comes into question.
“That is one of the main reasons we want the squatters removed,” he stated. “Over the years, we have been faced with many security challenges with undesirables living close to the airport. One of Guyana’s most dangerous criminals/terrorists (Rondell Rawlins also known as ‘Fine Man) lived for months in the area. Imagine what could have happened if he had unleashed terror in the community,” he said.
Benn has since ordered CJIA officials to amass data to formulate a security impact assessment report.
According to CJIA, over the last few years, the airport facilities have been exposed to theft. In 2008, runway lights valued thousands of US dollars were stolen. Police operations uncovered electrical cables at several locations in the Timehri squatting area.
Furthermore, burglars have breached the airport perimeter fence on a number of occasions to steal any accessible equipment and fuel from the Navigation Aids’ storage facilities. Navigation aids are critical to the safe over flight and landing of commercial aircraft.
When these aids are rendered inoperable, Air Traffic Control’s workload increases as they will have greater difficulty in ensuring the safe separation of aircraft flying in Guyana’s airspace, CJIA said yesterday.
There are more than 500 persons living in the area. Residents have insisted that they are not squatting but were recognized and promised that they would have been regularized. Some even have power and water and are operating shops.
Residents have claimed that they lived there for over 30 years.
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