Deportees arrive from US, escorted to police headquarters under tight security

Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 February 2015, 20:33 by GxMedia

Under tight security, at least 28 Guyanese d‎eportees were Tuesday afternoon escorted to police headquarters shortly after coming off a US government chartered flight. 

The MD-82 jet touched down at the Cheddi Jagan Internationa Airport at exactly 2:39 PM, as a small number of relatives and friends mingled in the viewing gallery.

Prior to being granted permission to leave the plane, an inventory of their carry-on luggage— mostly white bags— was taken in the presence of Guyanese police and US embassy officials. 

The deportees then boarded a 30-seater bus owned by the Guyana Police Force. A group of heavily ar‎med police from the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) accompanied the bus as sirens blared throughout the journey to the city. As the bus left the airport, a number of the deportees waived at their relatives who were in the parking lot. 

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has told Caribbean News Desk that this batch is believed to be the single largest ever in more than six years. 

Persaud has said that a number of the deportees could be monitored based on assessments that are to be conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department.

The Prevention of Crimes Act legally permits the police to monitor persons including deportees.