Cops accused of acting as enforcers for airport touts

Aug 18, 2019 News

In recent weeks, operations at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri have come under the microscope with the arrivals of Haitians.

A police rank escorting the Cuban because he refused to travel with a particular driver.

While it has been ascertained, now, that the vast majority of the almost 9,000 Haitians have left for Brazil, there were concerns over the security side of things at the airport.
Police officers were openly seen milling about and conversing with persons who were making arrangements to move the Haitians.
There were persons openly using signs and others with smart phones bearing passengers’ photos.
There were also claims that some persons were even accessing secured areas at the Arrivals Hall to speak with officials.
Yesterday, another side emerged. Also arriving at the airport are hundreds of Cubans every week.
Many of them are coming here to trade. They have largely been returning to Cuba.
However, scores of them are also making their way across the border to Brazil, via the Takutu Bridge weekly.
Before leaving Cuba, the passengers have to reserve hotels. No reservation meant no tickets.
According to one taxi driver, Cubans are being harassed and made to pay fees for those reservations or face not getting a flight to Guyana. Everybody seems to be involved.
Yesterday, one taxi driver at the airport was upset after police arrested a Cuban national who arrived and did not want to accompany a driver/tout who was there to pick him up.
“The police arrested him and marched him from the Arrivals area to the police outpost. I told them this is an Immigration matter and it should be dealt with there. The constable told me he was instructed to take him to the outpost. This is not right,” the taxi driver told Kaieteur News.
He said that this is not an isolated case and called for the police force to conduct an investigation.
Under regulations, visitors must record on their Immigration form their intended address.
Airport sources claimed that there is a ring, which involves employees and police ranks which facilitate the movement of especially Cubans and Haitians.

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