— President David Granger

THE discovery of an illegal aircraft in The Rupununi on Monday is being treated as a public security matter, as government launches an investigation into the find.
The aircraft, which was recently discovered in The Rupununi, a Beechcraft Super King Air

350, bears registration PR-IMG, is reportedly connected to an investment bank in neighbouring Brazil.

Information suggests that the firm leased the aircraft to a Rio-based company.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), for its part, said it is probing the authenticity of the Brazilian registration number attached to the aircraft.
GCAA Director-General Egbert Fields, said checks will be made with the Brazilian aviation authorities to see if the plane is indeed registered in that country and to ascertain its ownership.

This discovery was made just a week after soldiers found another illegal airstrip, a chain saw, aviation fuel, 12 abandoned camps and several dug-out trenches in the same area.
“We know that people were running away from the plane and if they were wounded or injured, they would not have been running, so we have to get to the facts first before we jump to [a] conclusion,” President David Granger said.
He also noted that the situation is being treated as a public security matter, rather than a question of distress.

“It would be premature of me to say what will happen to the plane, we don’t know if it was in distress, we don’t know if it was involved in any illegal activities, but as soon as that investigation is completed we will ensure that the results are known,” he said.
Minister of State Joseph Harmon had noted that the government is working with local and international partners to build capacity and strengthen security.

“The government is extremely concerned; we are concerned that these aircraft are utilising our large gaps in the security coverage in the hinterland areas, but we are looking carefully to see how we can have a proper coverage of those areas,” he said.
He said, too, that the government has recognised that over a period of years, there are those who have taken advantage of the lack of adequate resources to properly monitor those areas.

He said the administration is taking this matter very seriously, and is making every effort to better equip the security forces and strengthen their capacity to secure Guyana’s territory.
On Monday, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guyana Police Force (GPF)’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and other related agencies on Monday conducted an initial assessment of the twin-engine Beechcraft aircraft.

The initial assessment is in an effort to gather evidence that will assist in the investigation into the circumstances which led to the aircraft being abandoned on the illegal airstrip.
Minister Harmon called on all Guyanese to play their part and ensure that illegal activities, regardless of the location in which they take place, are reported to the relevant authorities.
Commander of ‘F’ Division, Ravindradat Budhram, said following the discovery of the plane, an extensive search was mounted by a Joint Services team for the men, who had been observed fleeing.

He commended the ranks involved in the operation, noting that the men work tirelessly as the search continues.
During the search of the aircraft, several pieces of communication equipment, including cellular phones, flashlights, a quantity of dried rations, medical supplies and an identification card were discovered.