Surinamese police intercept fuel smuggled from Guyana

Last Updated on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, 22:28 by Writer

Surinamese police in Nickerie said they on Tuesday intercepted fuel smuggled from Guyana and arrested the owner of a gas station in that district that is located near the bordering Corentyne River.

“During a targeted surveillance of cross-border crime, police officers found a truck loaded with fuel, the color of which matched that used in neighboring Guyana,” the Suriname Police Corps said in a statement.

Investigators said the vehicle was parked at a local gas station on Ramadhar Rajaramweg in the Corantijnpolder district.

After an initial check, police said they temporarily left the location, but upon returning, the truck was no longer there.

Law enforcement agents said they immediately suspected that the owner, LR (36), had moved the fuel to his second gas station in the Henar district. With the assistance of the Paradise police, the truck was stopped on Ir. Mn. Ataoellahweg in the Henar district, the Suriname Police Corps said. 

During the inspection, police found four large square barrels containing approximately 4,000 litres (almost 880 imperial gallons) of illegal fuel on the truck bed. “The owner and his employee, MM (39), who were inside the vehicle, were arrested and taken to Paradise police station for arraignment. The truck and the quantity of fuel were seized in connection with the investigation,” police added in a statement. 

After consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the gas station owner was remanded in custody pending the police investigation, while worker his employee was released.

Further investigation into this case has been transferred to the West Region Detective Department, the Police Corps said.