– search unearths other stolen items in squatter’s home
Six runway lights at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) were discovered missing on Thursday night and even though the Timehri police conducted searches at several homes in the nearby squatting area, up to late last night the lights had still not been found.
Ramesh Ghir
The lights are said to be worth some US$1,000 each.
However, the searches uncovered other items, which were stolen from the airport some time ago, including several feet of runway cable and fuel and up to last night several persons were in police custody assisting with investigations.
Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, CJIA Chief Executive Officer, Ramesh Ghir, said that over the last few months the airport has been a target for thieves. He said there had been several break-ins, people have sabotaged equipment, stolen fuel and broken into the airport’s main storage area and stolen a number of specialized cables.
He said the total loss to the airport as well as many of the ground-handling operators was in excess of $8 million over the last four months. On the issue of the stolen lights, Ghir confirmed that the six portable lamps were discovered missing some time around 9:30 on Thursday night. According to him, the last check was conducted about an hour before the lights were discovered missing. However, he said the lamps were replaced with some in stock and so no flights were affected. He said the joint services were alerted and several searches were conducted, but did not yield much. The lawmen continued their search and yesterday morning got word that there was a particular individual in the neighbourhood who was known for purchasing stolen items.
Stabroek News was told that the police went to the man’s house and during a search recovered several feet of 5,000 volts runway cable and another set of cables, which was the property of Guyana Power and Light Inc. Chainsaws and other equipment were also picked up by the police and are being held at the Timehri station since they too are suspected to have been stolen.
Several five-gallon containers of fuel were also seized, since fuel was stolen from the airport in large quantities.
The owner of the house where the items were recovered was not arrested yesterday but his family members were assisting police with investigations.
Subsequent to the discoveries yesterday, this newspaper was reliably informed that the drive to remove the squatters may be intensified.
Transport Minister Robeson Benn had last year met some of the squatters and explained that further development of the airport would mean extended runways, and more spacious airport facilities.
He told this newspaper last evening that to allow for this growth the squatters would have to move since squatting also posed safety and administrative risks.
A source at the airport also told this newspaper that many of the small shops in proximity to the airport have over time become permanent homes for some persons.
Shame and scandal in the !!!!!!!!!.I would expect that at an Internatioal airport, security of the runways would have top priority.Is the NTSA hearing this.
unbelievable ……… fuel missing,cables missing .runway lights gone maybe
somebody building a next int*l airport they better check to see if any plane
missing???
That’s next !! A plane will be missing.
to torbo comment, that is funny, lol.
In Forbes days he would have bulldozed the squatters shacks around the airport never mind of race and get back the lamps by hell or high water. Ghir too SOFT.
Forbes was not completely stupid.
There is much we can learn from him.
Irreverend has scored a bulls-eye here.
I would go one step further and bulldoze homes and land of criminals who deal in extreme lawlessness like pushing drugs and murderation too.
thank god he is no longer here
It’s all well and good for you to say that. Should the Guyanese Government bulldoze anyone we would hear of “racism” and unfairness to the poor people that have no where else to live. The question is, why were they allowed to squat at the airport at the inception? Some folks have been there for years no doubt, I agree they pose a risk to the security of the airport and must be given land to relocate immediately.
This what now how can people or person go an stole fuel from the airport this is an shame on the admin,of the airport,now if they face with cables being stolen from the airport why these cables not under ground ,second where is the security if there any at all ,third put an proper fence around the airport ,an put an second eye which is camera ,The government spend million on carifesta so spend some million on our air that be wise to do an ,u no the money well spend , the airport make money each day on ,tax s, even the chrildren pay the taxs $4,500 each pay so where all the money going
the tax is 4000. and the money was well spent for carifesta the president did a good thing for guyanese who lives there by making every event free but yet there were people selling the tickets at the stadium while the police looked on
Airports are supposed to have very tight security govt should launch an investigation since management knew things were being stolen sometime ago. Time for Ghir to go
coolieman…ah surprised this coming from you ! Yea man !
“Time for Ghir to go”..? You are the replacement?
Hear man?…youhave to have he replacement before you send de boos man
packing. But Ghir not guilty of any wrong-doing.
Next what is an investigation going to do? Prove that Ghir was stymied in
getting corrective actions taken?
My concern is with the security of the runway for if people could get on to
the runway and steal lights, what else could they not do?
Shudderring thoughts !!
some aircrafts are left there on the ground over night ….there are a lot of troubled minds around. The security of those aircrafts I am thinking about…
wow, if it aint one thing, it’a another incident, how come it’s mising could it be an inside job?
$1000US for one light?
hmmmmmmmmm maybe I should start supplying lights :)
It is a frightening development to note that unauthorised persons can gain access to the airport runway, much less to thief items. Whats up with security? Is there any? The funny part is that the police are after the so called thieves, aren’t they looking at the persons responsible for preventing such act, like the security personnel. Are they waiting for a disaster to occur like a person, animal or objects coming into contact with aircraft. Is anyone using commonsense here. Brute force and ignorance by th police in recovering items will not solve the problem, this should never have happened in the first place. I ths an international airport or Stabroek car park?
Are these the same light that Barbados lone to us ????.
The Joint Service need to get out of Boxton and
station at our only I’ntl airport before things get
worst.
Why u guys always jump the gun always like a chicken with no head.