THE authorities are still seeking to determine whether the abandoned aircraft found at the Yupukari airstrip, Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) is linked to drug trafficking.

The police and army are speaking with nearby residents with the hope of turning up leads in the case and this has resulted in a number of them sharing information they deemed as ‘suspicious activity,’ such as the presence of motorcycles frequently at midnight in the area. They also reported that the abandoned aircraft had previously been sighted circling the area on numerous occasions in the past, a release from the Ministry of the Presidency noted.

The plane, bearing registration number N767Z, was first brought to the attention of officials on September 13 by a resident of the area.  The following day, a joint army and police team, inclusive of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), were dispatched to the location to conduct a full investigation and it was later revealed by Minister of State Joseph Harmon that the United States registration was bogus, since there is another active aircraft in the U.S. with the same registration number.

Meanwhile, the release noted that on Saturday morning, a team including Head of CANU, Mr. James Singh and GCAA officials, ventured into the area to further assess the aircraft for damage and capabilities in order to make recommendations on what should be done with it.

During a search of the aircraft, several pieces of communication equipment were discovered. These have been secured to be further examined for any potential leads.

According to the release, Harmon said that while the government is yet to receive a full report on what had transpired over the last few days, President David Granger and the entire government are committed to ensuring that a full investigation into the matter is completed.  The minister noted that reports received from residents near the area where the aircraft was discovered, have raised serious concerns for those involved in the investigation.

The Cessna 441 Conquest 11 is said to be a very expensive aircraft, with an aviation official putting the price at US$2M. The official said too that it is extraordinarily strange for such type of craft to be found at the location. The Guyana Chronicle was also told that the payload of the plane is about 4000 pounds minus fuel and has a range of 2500 miles on fuel.

Harmon had explained that the area has been under regular and constant surveillance, because in the past an airstrip not very far from that location was actually used for aircraft that were connected to the illicit drug trade. The aircraft was discovered partly hidden, as it was off the airstrip itself and according to Harmon, there seemed to have been some kind of a camouflage net that was thrown over it.