Police in Port Kaituma, North West District are currently probing an incident where an unidentified aircraft was observed “circling” in Port Kaituma airspace last Thursday.
Based on information reaching this newspaper, the incident occurred between 3 and 3.30 pm last Thursday and caused concern among residents of Fitzburg and Canal Bank, Port Kaituma.
A resident of the area, who requested that his name be withheld, told Stabroek News that he was at home in Fitzburg, Port Kaituma when he heard a “roaring” sound but thought nothing of it initially since he is accustomed to “hearing the jets that going to Trinidad.”
However, the “roaring” was heard again at different intervals which caused him to wonder whether more than one aircraft was passing. He got up and looked outside and saw what he said looked like a military aircraft.
He said that based on his observations, the aircraft would have circled the area around the airstrip several times.
When asked if he was able to make out any markings on the aircraft that could possibly be used to identify it, the man stated that the aircraft was moving too fast for him to make out anything.
“… As it went down the river, it descended lower,” he said, adding that the area where it was next spotted was in proximity to where the local authorities had discovered a makeshift submarine suspected to have been used to convey drugs from Colombia to Guyana two years ago. With all of this in mind, the man said, he contacted the Port Kaituma Police Station relayed his concerns. However, he was told that there was no transportation available for the ranks at that time to investigate. The following day, the resident said, “I call a friend who living down the river and when he come by me the next day, he told me the workers on his farm see the plane as well as what they say look like four objects falling from the aircraft. They weren’t sure if it was objects or paratroopers,” the man said.
He further stated that he has since been asked to give a statement to the police on what he claims he saw last Thursday.
A similar account was given to this newspaper yesterday by another resident who lives at Canal Bank, Port Kaituma.
According to the man, he, along with several other residents in the area observed what he described as a “small jet” that did not resemble any aircraft he would have seen in Guyana before.
“It kinda had a structure that resembled a bat and had a pointed front, with a very broad middle…the jet circled at least 8-10 times around us here at Canal Bank and we felt a bit scared because it was flying very low,” the man said.
This, he said, prompted him to contact the police to enquire whether they were aware of any situation at that time that allowed such an aircraft to be active in the specific air space. He said they responded in the negative.
Nevertheless, the resident said he continued to observe the aircraft until it stopped circling before it subsequently headed back in the direction of Mabaruma.
“I living here for years and I know the route for all the planes that does pass through because they all come from one direction. This one did not follow the usual route and then it turn and headed back in the border location,” the man stated. He too was unable to identify any specific markings on the aircraft.
Meanwhile, when contacted for a comment on the claims made by the residents, Commander of ‘F’ Division Ravindradat Budhram confirmed that police have embarked on investigating the sightings of the unidentified aircraft around the Port Kaituma area.
He further stated that while ranks had also reportedly seen an unidentified aircraft in the Port Kaituma airspace on the said day, like the residents, they too had not seen any markings on the aircraft that could be used to possibly identify it.
