Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
Burnt out plane found abandoned on Kwakwani trail – CANU looks for pilot
The abandoned burnt-out aircraft found on the Kwakwani trail.
Kaieteur News – A burnt-out aircraft that is suspected to have been used in illicit activities was yesterday found abandoned in a trail located in the Bisaruni area, Kwakwani, Region Ten. The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) in a press release stated that some of its ranks along with a joint service team were deployed to the area to conduct investigations.
So far, according to CANU, no illegal cargo has been found close to the site, nor were there any charred human remains located. As a result, it is believed that whoever the pilot might be is still alive and in the area and CANU along with the joint services ranks are looking for that individual.
Based on a release sent out by the Department of Public Information (DPI), prior to the discovery of the aeroplane, reports were received by law enforcement authorities that it was spotted around 20:15hrs on June 14, circling the Bissaruni trail, some 12 miles east of Kwakwani.
DPI also relayed to the public that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has set-up roadblocks to intercept anyone who might be associated with the aircraft. A call was also made for persons who might have pertinent information to assist investigations to make contact with the nearest police station.
Head of CANU, James Singh also related to this newspaper that his Unit had heard of another strange aircraft passing through Guyana’s airspace yesterday. That aircraft, he said, did not land but had continued flying in the direction towards neighbouring Suriname.
According to DPI, the Suriname authorities were alerted by Guyana and that same plane was busted with 400 kilograms of cocaine in Kaaimangrasie, Suriname. In the last eight months, three illegal aircraft were found in the hinterland regions of Guyana with various kilos of cocaine and suspected drug-traffickers, one of them convicted and jailed for five years.
The first two aircraft were discovered on September 13, 2020 at Nine Miles, Issano, Middle Mazaruni, Region Seven. One of them, a Cessna plane with three foreign nationals on board was found at the Nine Miles, Issano airstrip.
Those men had told investigators that they were heading to Suriname and had crash landed there. They also led investigators to locate the second plane, a Beechcraft, which had crashed in the jungle some distance away from the airstrip.
On board that plane, a body along with a cargo of 390 kilograms of cocaine was found. Two of the foreign nationals, Manoel Edson Pinheiro Costa, 35, an internet technician of Manaus, Brazil and Juan Ivan Fortool, 29, a Venezuelan pilot of Tumeremo, Estado Bolivar were charged with illegal entry and remanded to prison on September 19, 2020.
The third foreigner, a Brazilian pilot, Rafael Silveira Dias was convicted in April this year at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate for trafficking cocaine and has been jailed for five years.
On May 20, CANU ranks were once again investigating the discovery of another aircraft which crash landed at Orealla, Upper Corentyne River, Region Six. That plane was found around 16:00hrs with 453 kilograms of cocaine and two Brazilians on board. The two foreigners found with the cargo of drugs had told investigators that they were heading to Suriname to drop off magnesium.
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