— following President’s visit to Lethem

PRESIDENT David Granger on Friday outlined a broad policy on national border security during a visit to Lethem, Region Nine on Friday, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, said.
The President’s visit to Lethem follows the discovery of a Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft in Rupununi last Sunday.

Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing on Friday, Minister Harmon said a multi-agency team has been dispatched to the area to conduct investigations and the policy outlined by the President will be disclosed at a subsequent time.
The Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft has since been flown to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, where it is under the security of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Construction of a makeshift airstrip in that area can easily be done based on the flat surface and soil content and Harmon said based on the last Commission of Inquiry (CoI) held into the discovery of a similar aircraft in the same area last year, several recommendations were put in place.
However, he said this was inadequate to detect an airstrip being constructed and the possibility of flights being done.

Reflecting on the last aircraft that was discovered in 2016, Harmon said “the CoI into the first aircraft was of the view that having looked at the way it (the aircraft) was configured, having looked at the range of the aircraft, it was of the view that it was involved in narcotics trafficking”.
He said in relation to the current aircraft found, an ongoing investigation when completed will determine what the aircraft was engaged in when it illegally entered Guyana.
He reflected that the CoI had made a group of three recommendations which were immediate, short and long-term recommendations.
Adding that the Government had implemented the immediate recommendations, Harmon said as part of the strategy implemented, the level of the command of the police was increased.

He said this was followed by the reactivation of the Regional Intelligence Community, which is made up of the police, army, Regional Democratic Council (RDC), toshaos and other government officers who would share intelligence weekly that is compiled for the National Security Committee.
Additionally, he said a system of regular patrolling in the region was implemented using either vehicles or horses.
He said the long-term goals of the CoI included covering the area using drones, and fixed-wings aircraft on a regular basis to increase surveillance for illegal activities.