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Trio charged for illegal landing of aircraft, drug trafficking in Rupununi

Oct 17, 2024 News

Kaieteur News – Three individuals have been remanded to prison on Wednesday, following an investigation into the alleged illegal landing of an aircraft and drug trafficking in Bashaizon Village, South Rupununi, Region Nine.

The incident reportedly took place on October 6, 2024, with the suspects arrested on October 8. The defendants—Robintaine Peixoto Saraiva, a 48-year-old Brazilian miner from Boa Vista, Brazil; Hamlet Da Silva, a 53-year-old self-employed man from Bonfim, Brazil, and Achiwib Village; and Evander Phoenix, a 27-year-old miner from Achiwib Village, appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the charges were read to them.

Saraiva faced a charge of illegal entry, to which he pleaded not guilty. He was also jointly charged with Da Silva with the offence of conspiring to traffic marijuana and cocaine at the said location. They both pleaded not guilty. Phoenix was similarly charged with conspiracy to traffic drugs and also pleaded not guilty.

Attorney Bernard Da Silva, representing the trio, applied for bail. He argued that Saraiva’s plane developed mechanical issues leading to a crash-landing rather than an intentional act of illegal entry. “On the day in question, the plane suffered damage.” He further stressed that there were no narcotics found on his client or in the aircraft.  Da Silva added that Saraiva had no passport because he “never intended to land anywhere,” and insisted that Saraiva posed no flight risk, having a friend in Guyana willing to act as a guarantor.

Da Silva further explained that Hamlet Da Silva was contacted for mechanical assistance with the aircraft and was unjustly suspected by police. He noted that Phoenix was also asked to help with the plane’s repairs. Da Silva also mentioned to the court “the plane was to pick up mercury in Venezuela for the purpose of mining.” As such the lawyer emphasised, “The charges are baseless and unsupported and there is no risk of flight.”

In contrast, the prosecution objected to bail, citing the severity of the charges and the substantial evidence suggesting conspiracy to traffic drugs. The prosecutor revealed that police acted on information about an illegal airstrip and saw Da Silva and Phoenix assisting Saraiva’s aircraft. The prosecutor said upon seeing the police, the men attempted to flee. The prosecutor also mentioned that the airstrip was prepared six hours before the aircraft illegally entered Guyana. He also added that Saraiva has no fixed address in the country, raising concerns about his reliability to return to court.

After hearing both sides, Magistrate McGusty remanded the defendants, setting the next court date for October 29, 2024, for disclosure of statements and reports.

According to police reports, the investigation began when ranks received information about an aircraft attempting to land illegally in Bashaizon Village. Senior Superintendent Raphael Rose, along with members of the Guyana Police Force and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit, responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they discovered an illegal airstrip approximately three miles long, along with the aircraft in question. Witnesses reported that as police approached, two individuals exited the aircraft and entered a pickup truck, which then fled the scene, resulting in one of the suspects falling from the vehicle. Despite police attempts to apprehend the driver, he escaped into Brazil.

During interrogation, Saraiva disclosed that the aircraft was chartered to transport mercury for mining operations and that he had flown from Brazil to Venezuela before landing in Guyana. A search of the plane yielded several electronic devices and personal items, but no illegal substances were found.

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