11 Cubans caught entering Guyana illegally

A group of Cubans was nabbed after they were caught at separate locations entering Guyana illegally on Friday night in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Nine of the Cubans were caught at the Berbice River Bridge, while the other two were arrested near Number 63 Beach in Corentyne.
Acting on information received, Police stopped and searched a Route 40 minibus with registration number BSS 8772 in which nine Cubans, the driver and a conductor were travelling. Upon enquiry, they claimed they were missionaries, who were travelling to Guyana to lend religious support to health workers. They were all arrested and taken to a quarantine facility.
The second instance was at Number 63 Beach where Police found two Cubans after they exited a boat. They too were arrested and taken to a COVID-19 quarantine facility.
Recently, five Cubans who came to Guyana illegally from Suriname tested positive for COVID-19. The five were part of a group of 13 persons who illegally entered the country last week. They were all tested and five of the tests returned positive.
Guyana’s borders have been closed since March in an effort to curb the spread of the novel virus. Since then, officials have been working tirelessly to prevent illegal entries.
Police in Regions Six have also been pleading to boat operators to stop bringing persons illegally into Guyana. They were asked to consider their safety and that of their families as the virus continues to spread rapidly across the country.