Last Updated on Monday, 7 October 2024, 18:42 by Writer
Guyanese police on Sunday found a plane with purported Brazilian registration markings on an illegal airstrip at Bashaizon Village, South Rupununi.
Police said a man fell off a pickup and was arrested, but the pilot fled the scene in a vehicle across the Takatu River and into neighbouring Brazil.
Investigators said the detained man, identified as 48-year-old Robistaine Peixoto Saraiva, a gold miner from Boa Vista, Brazil, identified the pilot as ‘Wallefi Kayck’.
The police force said Mr Saraiva further stated that he had chartered the aircraft last Wednesday or Thursday from Santa Len De Para Company in Brazil. He said that on October 4, 2024, they had flown from Chimba Airstrip, Brazil, to Venezuela, where they dropped off 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 10 cylinders of mercury from a Brazilian known only as ‘Mute’ for use in his gold mining operations in Brazil.
Police and agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit visited the scene Sunday morning to monitor the suspected area where they spotted a black, gold, and white one-engine 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,” police said in a statement.
Police said 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, police said they found a black-and-white NK 150CC motorcycle with registration number 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.
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