Head of the GPF’s Corporate Communica-tions Unit, Mark Ramotar yesterday said that three persons are in police custody over the plane that was intercepted in Bashaizon Village, South Rupununi on Sunday.
Ramotar said that while it has been 72 hours since the men have been in custody and are yet to be charged, an extension has been granted until October 15.
In the South Rupununi, the police on Sunday intercepted a plane which may have been smuggling mercury for gold mining and one man was arrested during an exchange of gunfire while the pilot of the craft managed to escape to Brazil.
On October 6, 2024, at approximately 10:55 hrs, based on information received regarding an aircraft attempting to land at an illegal airstrip in Bashaizon Village, South Rupununi, an investigation was conducted.
Commander of Regional Police Division #9, Senior Superintendent Raphael Rose, along with Inspector Alfred, Detective Sergeant 21328 De Jonge, Sergeant Joseph, and other ranks from the Guyana Police Force, accompanied by three members of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit, visited the scene.
At around 10:55 on Sunday morning, Commander Regional Division #9 instructed Sergeant Joseph, the officer in charge of the Aishalton Police Station, to lead a team of officers to Bashaizon Village to monitor the suspected area. Sergeant Joseph, accompanied by Constable #26088 Berckly and Constable #26130 Wenceslaus, both armed at the time, departed Aishalton Police Station aboard ATV motorcycle #CL 9533.
According to the police report, upon arrival, the ranks observed a large plot of land in the savannah featuring an illegal airstrip running north to south, about three miles from the village’s main access road. They also noticed a black, gold, and white Islander aircraft with registration #PU-MBN parked on the airstrip, facing north.
Additionally, a dark-coloured, fully tinted four-door motor pickup truck was parked adjacent to the aircraft, also facing north.
As the ranks approached, they observed two fair-skinned males exiting the aircraft and boarding the pickup. However, as the ranks got closer, the pickup turned and drove off in a southern direction. One of the men fell from the vehicle in the process. Simultaneously, the pickup collided with the plane, causing damage to the right wing and front propeller.
The Police ranks quickly apprehended the man who had fallen from the vehicle. Despite discharging two .38 rounds in an attempt to stop the fleeing pickup, the vehicle managed to cross the Takutu River into neighbouring Brazil, making good its escape.
The apprehended male, identified as Robistaine Peixoto Saraiva, a 48-year-old Brazilian gold miner from Boa Vista, Brazil, was informed of the offences. A search of his person revealed no illegal items. During questioning, Saraiva disclosed that the pilot who had fled in the pickup was known to him only as ‘Wallefi Kayck’.
Saraiva further stated that he had chartered the aircraft last Wednesday or Thursday (exact date unknown) from Santa Len De Para Company in Brazil. He confirmed that on October 4, 2024, they had flown from Chimba Airstrip, Brazil, to Venezuela, where they dropped off ten (10) cylinders of mercury (Quicksilver). After spending a few days in Venezuela, they landed in Guyana on October 6, 2024. Saraiva claimed their visit to Guyana was to purchase ten (10) cylinders of mercury (Quicksilver) from a Brazilian known only as ‘Mute’ for use in his gold mining operations in Brazil.
A search of the aircraft revealed the following items:
– One iPhone 13 Pro Max
– One Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
– One Samsung Galaxy A03
– One Tracker phone
– Two Garmin GPS devices
– One pair of earbuds
– One wireless charger
– Several phone cables
– A quantity of male clothing
– Two black haversacks
Additionally, the ranks found a black-and-white NK 150 CC motorcycle with registration #4693 about 200 feet from the airstrip, hidden in nearby bushes.
Detectives processed and photographed the entire scene. Several individuals in the area were questioned, and useful information was obtained. The investigation is ongoing.
