A Brazilian national who entered Guyana illegally to allegedly purchase mercury (quicksilver) is in police custody.
The man, Robistaine Saraiva, 48 was arrested on Sunday at an illegal airstrip in the South Rupununi community of Bashaizon.
According to a statement from the police communication unit, Saraiva, was arrested after falling from a motor pickup in a bid to escape when police arrived on the scene.
Members of the Guyana Police Force and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) travelled to the small community after receiving information that the Brazilian-registered aircraft had landed on the illegal strip.
At the scene, ranks observed two men exiting the aircraft and boarded the pickup. However, as the ranks got closer, the driver sped off, resulting in Saraiva falling. While fleeing, the driver collided with the right wing and propeller of the plane.
The statement said ranks discharged two shots to stop the vehicle. However, the driver who was identified only as ‘Wallefi Kayck’ managed to flee to Brazil by way of the Takutu River.
Saraiva, the statement said, told investigators that he had chartered the plane last week Wednesday or Thursday, and flew from Chimba Airstrip in Brazil to Venezuela where they dropped off ten (10) cylinders of mercury. After a few days in Venezuela, they headed to Guyana to purchase ten cylinders of mercury from a Brazilian only known as ‘Mute’. The mercury, Saraiva said, was to be used in gold mining operations in Brazil.
During a search of the aircraft several items were found among them three cell phones: one tracker phone and two Garmin GPS devices.
Additionally, a black and white NK 150 CC motorcycle with registration number 4693 was found some 200ft from the airstrip in the bushes.