A 36-year-old labourer was, on Wednesday morning, caught red-handed at the Guyana-Brazil border crossing at Mango Grove, Lethem, with a quantity of items he smuggled into the country.

The borders are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Steve Lamazon of Mango Grove is currently in police custody assisting with the investigation.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that on Wednesday, around 04:45 hours, police, acting on information received, went to the crossing at Mango Grove, where they saw Lamazon pushing a wheelbarrow with several items inside.

Upon seeing the police, persons who were in the boat which was used to smuggle the items into Guyana from Brazil, made good their escape.

They made good their escape in a boat situated just off Guyana’s shore and headed for Brazil by crossing the Takutu River.

When questioned by the police, Lamazon admitted to having smuggled the items that came from Bonfim, Brazil, for himself and other persons.

The police seized 40 cases of Black Stone Brazilian rum, 52 cases of Brazilian beers and four boxes containing a quantity of cosmetics.

On May 5, 2020, four Brazilians were intercepted by local police on patrol at the Takutu Crossing, with a quantity of smuggled goods.

Roger Felix Duarte, Francisco James Dias, Aegre De Souza Marques and Ingrid Li Madocarmo were nabbed around 17:09hrs.

The group was nabbed with 10 long track pants, 10 pairs of socks, 23 pairs of footwear, 30 bottles of cologne, three Gillette sets, 33 vials of skin cream, five bottles of shampoo, 10 bottles of body spray, 55 vials of medication, six bars of soap, 25 boxes of syrup medication, six boxes of dye and six bottles of nail polish.

The foreigners were escorted to the Lethem Police Station where the items were lodged. They were profiled and handed over to the Brazilian authorities.