Three men accused of involvement in an alleged illegal aircraft landing and drug trafficking operation in Bashaizon Village, South Rupununi, have been granted bail. The decision was made by Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court earlier today.
The accused, Hamlet Da Silva, 53, of Bonfim, Brazil and Achiwib Village; Evander Phoenix, 27, a miner from Achiwib Village; and Robintaine Peixoto Saraiva, 48, a Brazilian miner from Boa Vista, Brazil were each granted bail in the sum of $200,000. They were represented by Attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva and are required to report to the Lethem Police Station under specific conditions as part of their bail.
Those conditions require the three men to report to the Lethem Police Station on the last Friday of each month. In addition to the bail granted for the conspiracy charges, Saraiva was also slapped with an additional $200,000 bail for the charge of illegal entry into Guyana. The case has been adjourned until November 27, 2024, for the full disclosure of evidence.
The charges stem from an incident on October 6, 2024, when an aircraft allegedly attempted to land illegally in Bashaizon Village. Following the incident, Saraiva, Da Silva, and Phoenix were arrested on October 8 and subsequently charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana and cocaine. They all pleaded not guilty when the charges were read in court.
According to reports, the police investigation began after receiving information about an illegal airstrip in the area. When law enforcement officers from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) arrived at the scene, they discovered an aircraft and a makeshift airstrip approximately three miles long.
It is alleged that when police approached the aircraft, the men attempted to flee the scene. Saraiva, who faced charges of illegal entry, argued through his lawyer, Bernard Da Silva, when the case was first called earlier in the month, that the landing was a result of mechanical issues rather than an intentional violation of Guyanese airspace.
Da Silva had stressed that no narcotics were found on his client or inside the plane and that Saraiva had no passport because he had no plans to land in Guyana. “On the day in question, the plane suffered damage,” Da Silva told the court, explaining that the defendants were there to assist with the mechanical repairs of the aircraft.
Phoenix and Da Silva also denied involvement in drug trafficking, maintaining that they were only contacted to help repair the damaged aircraft. Da Silva’s attorney argued that the charges were baseless and lacked evidence, highlighting that his client posed no flight risk as a friend in Guyana had agreed to be a guarantor.
