Guyanese man arrested in Suriname for smuggling ram across border
A 37-year-old Guyanese man was arrested on Monday in Suriname for allegedly smuggling a sheep into that country without proper clearance from the authorities.
According to a report published by Surinamese news agency Waterkant, the arrest took place at about 09:15h during a routine police operation conducted along the backtrack route at Abdul Ghani Madharweg, located in the Nickerie district.
Officers stationed at the Corantijnpolder Police Station in that Dutch-speaking country were conducting checks when they stopped a passenger boat that had arrived from Guyana.
The sheep that was smuggled into the country (Photo: Waterkant)
During the inspection, the man, identified by his initials RI, was found transporting a ram with a brown-black coat. RI was arrested on the spot, and the animal was seized and is now part of the ongoing criminal investigation.
Checks revealed that RI currently resides in Nickerie, but that the animal had been brought into Suriname without undergoing any veterinary inspection and without official permission from the relevant authorities.
The suspect reportedly told police that the sheep had been given to him as a gift by a mosque in Guyana, and that it was intended to be used in a religious ceremony for his daughter. He also claimed he was unaware that bringing animals into Suriname under such conditions was not allowed.
After consultation with the Surinamese Public Prosecution Service, the man was officially placed in custody. The case remains under investigation as law enforcement officials continue to follow up on the circumstances surrounding the illegal transport of the animal.
