Diamond Hotel raid: 3 Venezuelan nationals charged  

Three Venezuelan nationals who were recently nabbed during a police raid at Diamond Hotel and Night Club on George Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, charged with illegal entry.

Carlos Bannos admitted that on January 8, 2018, at Cuyuni River, he entered Guyana by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer.  Bannos was fined $30,000 or default of 8 weeks jail.

Maria Machingo was charged with entering Guyana illegally on September 20, 2017, at Lethem without presenting herself to an immigration officer. She denied the charge and told the court, with the aid of an interpreter, that she had given her passport to the immigration officer but they refused to stamp it.  Machingo was released on $20,000 bail and the matter was adjourned to February 12.

Meanwhile, Mia Gonsalves was charged with entering Guyana illegally on December 23, 2017, at Essequibo. She confessed to the charge and was fined $30,000.

Acting on intelligence, ranks of the police force swooped down and carried out a raid at Diamond Hotel and Night Club just after 07:00hrs on January 8 and took into custody 49 persons, including eight employees. The other persons are believed to be club dancers who were brought in from Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil and other countries.