Lethem men charged for building illegal Rupununi airstrip

Two men from Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) who reportedly confessed to constructing an illegal airstrip in the Rupununi, were arraigned on Friday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Wazim King, 37, of Lot 222 Kumuku Drive, Lethem; and Nathan Hamilton, 21, of

Lot 107 Beverley Hill Drive, Lethem appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman, denying the allegation made against them.
It is alleged that both men between August 10 and 13, 2017, at Rupununi Region Nine, conspired to facilitate the illegal landing of an aircraft used for trafficking weapons and drugs by constructing an illegal airstrip.
Attorneys for the defendants questioned why their clients were being charged when the mastermind in the matter; their employer, is not in Police custody and was in fact released by Police some time ago.
It was revealed to the court by Attorney Jerome Khan, who is representing King, that the defendants admitted to being recruited by their employer (name given) to construct the airstrip.
He further disclosed that both men are cooperating fully with Police and should be used as witnesses instead of being charged.
However, Police Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt objected to bail being granted and revealed that the defendants gave statements implicating themselves and clearly stated to Police that they had knowledge of what they were building.
As such, Magistrate Latchman remanded the men to prison until September 18.
Reports are an illegal Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft; and a 5400-foot long, 45-foot wide makeshift airstrip was found in the Upper Takutu region by Joint Services ranks.
Three men were seen existing the aircraft but they managed to evade Police.
Identification documents; several pieces of communication equipment, including cellular phones; flashlights; a quantity of dried ration; and medical supplies were found aboard the aircraft.
Additionally, a search of the area unearthed three abandoned camps, in which canned food and other items were found along with containers of suspected aviation fuel.
A probe into the matter led to the arrest of several persons, including the duo that was charged and their employer. However, their employer was later released. Police have since launched a manhunt to re-apprehend the businessman.
An inter-agency probe has since been launched and it was unearthed that the aircraft, which initially had a Colombian registration number, was actually registered to Brazil’s third largest bank, Banco Bradesco.
On Monday last, acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine told reporters that documents found in the Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft may have links to South American neighbours, Brazil and Colombia.
However, the acting Top Cop was unable to say who the individuals were that brought the illegal aircraft into Guyana. Police officials had also revealed that the identification documents found in the aircraft belonged to a Brazilian and a Colombian national.