…trench dug to deter motorists from accessing Takutu River

FOLLOWING reports of the frequent usage of illegal crossings by residents along the Takutu River to travel to and from Brazil, the village council of St Ignatius near the town of Lethem has tightened entry and exit points at the village.

Reports are that a gate has been set up at the main bridge which links Lethem with St Ignatius and will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 18:00 hours to 06:00 hours daily. In addition, a roadway which leads to the river was also cut-off by a trench which was dug by the authorities to ensure taxi drivers, who have been making frequent trips to the river with passengers making the illegal trip, are deterred from doing so.

Although a nationwide curfew is in effect, persons in the area continue to utilise illegal crossings to get into Brazil, especially at night.
In addition, the Brazilian authorities have implemented an order to close the border crossing at the Takutu Bridge, only allowing essential good vehicles to traverse the area on Thursdays.

Reports are that Toshao Dennis Benedict has put in place a special unit to monitor the movement of persons at St Ignatius. It was noted that the main offenders are taken to the Takutu River crossings by taxi drivers while others have been riding to the riverside to get across to Brazil.

Recently, Brazilian police arrested several persons who were seen crossing the Takutu River. They were found with 400 infrared thermometers which were believed to have been smuggled from Guyana.

Brazil has so far recorded more than 100,000 cases of the global pandemic with over 5000 deaths attributed to the virus.