A REPORT in the Brazilian media has stated that many vehicles, especially motorcycles, which emerge from theft and robbery in the State of Roraima, are brought into Guyana via Lethem to be exchanged for drugs.The report, which appeared on the online portal Folha, said the State Government has signed an agreement with the Office of the General Consulate of Guyana in Boa Vista to curb criminal activities at the border, and to facilitate the return of seized vehicles to their owners.

Lethem Mayor Carlton Beckles told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday that the issue of vehicle theft has been in existence for some time. He said that authorities in Lethem recently seized 12 to 14 motorcycles whose owners are trying to obtain the necessary paperwork to operate in the area.

He said there have been reports of persons making hire purchase agreements on motorcycles in Boa Vista; and according to him, such persons would subsequently sell the bikes across the border in Lethem and nearby communities.

“Then they would report it to the Brazilians as being stolen,” he said.

According to the report, Data Traffic Management System Getran, of the State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), has shown that in the first five months of 2016, the number of robberies and vehicle thefts in Roraima grew 65.5 per cent, compared to the same period last year.

“Most are bikes, (which are) easier to take and exchange for drugs, especially at the border, as in Lethem in Guyana,” Leonardo Barronconas of the Bureau of Robberies and Thefts noted.

Guyana’s Consulate General in Boa Vista, Shirley Melville, told the Brazilian media that it was verbally agreed that there would be cooperation agreement between the police institutions of Roraima and Lethem.

“It’s important for us to act together and thus avoid this type of crime,” she was quoted as saying. “Furthermore, we can facilitate and enable the return of the vehicles to their owners.”

Many are not familiar with the type of assistance which the Consulate General’s Office offers in terms of assistance in cases of robbery and theft of vehicles in Brazil, and which are suspected of being in Guyana illegally,” she said. “No one seeks us for help. However, we inform the citizens that we are available to provide the necessary support,” Melville said.

She said the agreement shows that governments are concerned about solving the problem.

“In February, there was a bilateral meeting between Brazil and Guyana, and one of the issues addressed was the issue of stolen vehicles.

“During that meeting, it was agreed that we would take appropriate action to curb the criminal actions, and that soon we will formalise the agreement. We are acting proactively to deal with the border situation,” she said.

While in the region recently, this newspaper observed the ease in which persons trade items on the border without inspections being done by the authorities on the Guyana side of the border. Many Guyanese would venture into nearby Bom Fin and further into the State and make purchases on various items, including grocery. These are subsequently retailed in the shops at Lethem and surrounding communities.