Three charged with drug trafficking connected to illegal airstrip found in Reg.9

A Brazilian National is among three persons who were charged on Monday with illegal entry and drug trafficking. The three men were arrested after being found at an illegal airstrip in Bashaizon Village, South Rupununi, Region Nine on October 6.

Those charged are Robintaine Peixoto Saraiva, a 48-year-old Brazilian miner of Boa Vista, Brazil; Hamlet Da Silva, a 53-year-old self-employed man of Bonfim, Brazil, and Achiwib Village, South Rupununi and Evander Phonix, a 27-year-old miner also of Achiwib Village.

All three men were charged with Trafficking in Narcotics, while Saraiva was also charged with illegal entry.

The defendants appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where they all pleaded not guilty.

The men were represented by attorney Bernard Da Silva.

The next court date is set for October 29 for disclosure of statements and report.

On October 6, the Guyana Police Force uncovered a suspected mercury smuggling operation involving the men.

Commander of Regional Police Division Nine, Senior Superintendent Raphael Rose, was alerted to the presence of an aircraft attempting to land on an illegal airstrip located in Bashaizon Village. The Commander quickly mobilised a team to investigate the situation.

At the location, the ranks discovered the illegal airstrip along with a black, gold, and white Islander aircraft, bearing the registration #PU-MBN and a dark-coloured, fully tinted four-door pickup truck.

As police approached, they saw two men disembark from the aircraft and board the pickup. The pickup attempted to flee, colliding with the plane in the process. The vehicle then drove off at speed, heading southward, but not before Saraiva fell from the truck.

He was captured and the other two men were later arrested on October 8.

During subsequent questioning, Saraiva revealed crucial information regarding the operation. He stated that the pilot of the aircraft, known to him only by the alias ‘Wallefi Kayck,’ had fled into Brazil. Saraiva further disclosed that he had chartered the aircraft from the Santa Len De Para Company in Brazil earlier in the week and had been involved in the transportation of mercury, a key component used in gold mining.

According to Saraiva, the plane made a stop in Venezuela on October 4, where they dropped off ten cylinders of mercury before flying to Guyana. The plan was to procure additional mercury from a Brazilian contact known only as ‘Mute’ for use in his gold mining operations in Brazil.

A search of the aircraft revealed several electronic devices, including an iPhone 13 Pro Max, a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and a Samsung Galaxy A03, alongside a number of navigational tools such as Garmin GPS devices. The police also discovered two black haversacks, a quantity of male clothing, and other personal items aboard the plane.

Notably, the authorities found a black-and-white NK 150 CC motorcycle, registered #4693, hidden in nearby bushes approximately 200 feet from the airstrip. It is believed that this motorcycle may have been used in the operation.