Govt will use Cessna abandoned in Mazaruni -Benn

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56519248
Stabroek News

By Nigel Williams

Monday, April 30th 2007

Government will confiscate and put into use the single-engine Cessna aircraft that was found abandoned at Kwapau airstrip, Middle Mazaruni back in March 2005, Transport Minister, Robeson Benn has said. But he gave no clear indication when and how this would be done. Stabroek News was told that the plane, which landed illegally in the country could be confiscated under the Customs Act. New legislation is to be tabled in Parliament soon which will allow the confiscation of assets of convicted drug dealers and money launderers. Local police seemed to have closed off their investigation even though the owner of the plane was identified as a Venezuelan little over a year ago. The man according to reports acknowledged that the plane was his, but he said that he did not know about its flight to Guyana. He however has not approached local authorities to date to repossess the plane. Stabroek News was told that Caracas has not made any fuss about the incident, only ascertaining the owner of the craft. According to reports it is hardly likely that authorities in the neighbouring country have made any move to investigate why the plane was flown to Guyana and abandoned. This case is one of a number where local police have failed to make an impact despite tangible leads such as the plane. What became of the crew of the plane is also a big mystery. At present the aircraft is under the control of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and is parked at the Army's hangar at Timehri. Asked about the aircraft on Friday a senior GDF officer told Stabroek News that it was not in use and the army would not use it until permission was given by the government. The officer said that the aircraft has not taken off since it was flown from the interior to Timehri in 2005. It is not clear whether the plane is currently in serviceable condition, since it has been parked for such a long time and from all indications no maintenance work is usually done on it. Benn was adamant that the plane with compartments to traffic drugs was here on that mission. Back in March 2005 police had stumbled on the Cessna 206 aircraft with duplicate registration said to be used in Venezuela. The Cessna with black and grey stripes with an emblem suspected to be that of Venezuela on its tail was first observed to be bearing the number YV0880P. However, closer observation saw that another number YV2657P had been effaced using masking tape. Police were following leads that the craft may have been registered in the US State of Florida. Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Gary Anthony Grandison, whose address was given as Lot 13, Guyhoc Gardens and 13, Prince William Street Plaisance, East Coast Demerara. The force had also been investigating the discovery of a parked and locked 4x4 Tacoma vehicle approximately two miles away at Itaballi Landing and whether there was a possible link between the two. Several persons including a city businessman, who it was said formerly owned the Tacoma vehicle, were held as investigations into the discovery of the aircraft and vehicle were pursued. Two men for whom wanted bulletins had been issued later turned themselves over to police but no charges were laid in connection with the plane. The white single engine aircraft has among its features a special drop door, as well as on-board fuel tanks to facilitate long-range flights, an indication that it may have been used in some illegal activity including the trafficking in narcotics or persons. Aviation sources had told this newspaper at the time of the discovery of the plane that all of its controls were in take off mode, suggesting that either the occupants were caught off guard and hurriedly abandoned it or someone might have troubled it before the police visited the scene. The source also indicated that the occupants could have also been testing it, when time caught up with them. Reports also were that the radio frequency on the aircraft showed that it was linked to Venezuela's Ciudad Bolivar Airport, but this according to authorities did not mean the abandoned craft was operating out of that airport. When the aircraft was flown to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri officials of the US Drug Enforcement Agency had visited it and made checks. Fuel slips were found in the craft, which bore dates in January 2005. Police had arrested several men including a city businessman in connection with a Toyota Tacoma, which police had found locked and seemingly abandoned at Itaballi, Mazaruni a short distance away from the Kwapau airstrip where the aircraft was discovered. Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Zulfikar Mohamed told Stabroek News on Friday that after the police and other authorities had determined that the aircraft was registered to Venezuela, contact was made with Caracas to find out who owned the plane. Mohamed said that the owner of the craft was later found and this along with other details was dispatched to Guyana in a letter written in Spanish. Mohamed said that the letter was translated and it was revealed that the owner said that he did not know of the flight to Guyana. Mohamed said that there was no flight plan indicating that the plane was bound for Guyana. He believes that it was operating from a small airstrip in Venezuela close to the Guyana border and this may have allowed it quick and easy access to fly over to Guyana. Mohamed said that it is possible that the aircraft could have flown to this country before. He said that the plane had an engine problem, noting that when it was time for it to be flown to Timehri this had to be fixed. It is widely believe that drug traffickers have been using Guyana's expansive forest and unregulated interior airstrips to make airdrops of cocaine here. The US in its recently released drug strategy report alluded to this.