Latest update March 29th, 2025 5:38 AM
Illegal aircraft…Interpol to assist in probe of possible collusion between cops, passengers
If you are familiar with the Santa Fe, Region Nine area, then you will find it strange to hear three persons escaped from a man-made airstrip after being spotted by law enforcement officers, said a senior police source.
The illegal aircraft
As such, the government is investigating suspected collusion between police ranks and the individuals who managed to escape after landing the twin-engine Beechcraft King Air on the illegal airstrip.
Yesterday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said that there is information available which suggested there was some level of collusion between those linked to the aircraft and law enforcement officers stationed in the area.
While there are reports that a large amount of cash was offered to the ranks, the Minister said that a conclusion will only be made once the probe is completed.
The International Police Organization (Interpol) has been asked for assistance by local investigators.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is in possession of two passports belonging to a Columbian and a Brazilian that were found onboard the illegal aircraft. It is believed that the travel documents belong to two of the persons who managed to escape last month.
The plane has a similar registration number to an aircraft owned by a bank in neighbouring Brazil, but the authorities there have not indicated whether the registration number, PR-IMG, is authentic.
Director of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Egbert Field, had told this newspaper that the registration number of a legitimate aircraft could very well be on the one that was discovered on the illegal airstrip.
A Lethem businessman and a contractor who police believed are linked to the illegal plane and airstrip were recently released on bail. It is being reported that the businessman paid the contractor to prepare the airstrip.
When the foreign plane was discovered, a quantity of dry ration, medical supplies, gents clothing, footwear, two hand-held radios, flashlights, cellular phones and an identification card were among some of the items found during the initial inspection.
This discovery was made just a week after soldiers found another illegal airstrip, a chain saw, aviation fuel, 12 abandoned camps and several dug out trenches in the same area.
Additionally, another illegal airstrip was found in Yurupukari, Region Nine, in September 2015. Investigations later revealed that the plane had originated in Colombia.
Harmon had said that the country’s vast land and airspace make it vulnerable to transnational security threats. He pointed out that the government is working with both local and international partners to build capacity and strengthen security.
Harmon further noted that the government recognized that over a period of years, there are those who have taken advantage of the lack of adequate resources to properly monitor those areas.
He had said, too, that the administration was taking such matters very seriously and continues to make every effort to better equip security forces and strengthen their capacity to secure the country’s territory.
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