– 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.
An international airport, with a little or no security, it’s a FREEWAY for TERRORIST(S)
WAKE UP AIRPORT ADMINISTRATION and SECURITY !!!!!!
From the air it’s an eyesore to see those shacks near an Itn’l airport, but the government have to find a solution before ejecting them.
I agree and I would suggest regularizing them which may result in decency and order.
…… ehhh ,, wats up doc ?…. chomp,, chomp,,,, so they steal the lights and fuel from the a/port,,well this pair of long antenna that i have with my fuzzy l’il tail tell me that the GPF need to look into this ,,,,
the place where the stolen ? items were found ,, the “buyer ” might have bought them from the “things” or as many,, like the agonseeya guy say,, african resistance fighters !,, according to reports they were “seen” in the area for two whole weeks ? does anyone know how long they were there b4 they became conspicious,,,,, tie in the time of disappearance ,, and find the link,, the buyer may have ties with them making him an accessory to not just buying of ,, stolen goods ,, but of knowing the where abouts of men “wanted by the nation ” !……
so is just a theory ,, and why i feel this is so ,, is,, b4 their appearance in the area ,, nothing was stolen ,, at least from the a/port to the extent that is alarming ,,,, “skinny” because of his beanlike physique may have been the one who with snake like stealth may have been responsible for the missing ak47s ,, from “ayangana” and their next target for ammunition may well have been the army base at timehri ! ? and yes ,,, it may sound like conjecture and an opportunity to blame it on the dead ,, but there is a pattern ,, they were known criminals and thieves ,,of course we must never,,, ever,, forget that they were,, too ,, MURDERERS !…..
I really don’t know how this guy still has his job. This is really very serious. A airport runway is supposed to be off limits even to birds, yet someone steals lights !, landing lights?
Didn’t this guy…Ghir know that he was supposed to secure the runway?
This is just another example of the PPP putting a person in a job, regardless of their competence and experience.
What a shame, an International Airport losing its lights to thieves, fuel, wire…what next? And to think that this has been going on for three months? And from the main storage bond? And what has Ghir done or been doing about this?
These and more questions need not even be answered…it should not have happened in the first place…WHERE IS THE SECURITY?
The airport, like all airports should be completely fenced and lighted with a perimeter road on the inside to facilitate a security vehicle to patrol at intervals. The Bond should have security guards with bright like day lighting around and inside. Ghir does not need me nor anyone to tell him this…this is a no-brainer. Ghir has proven his incompetence to be Airport head since the situation with runway lights not working, generator sets bruk-up, landing tower problems, planes turning back to TnT, leaking departure lounge roof, etc, etc. This Ghir should resign, or the govt. find somebody else to run the airport.
The squatter situation is another problem and has been so since in BURNHAM ERROR. They should be removed immediately, even the ones who seem to have set up permanent “homes”. What next would we see, an aircraft vandalised? The FAA should be taking note here.
Ghir should employ his pensonal security before someone steal him.
i am not surprise at what has happen but this is a very serious matter and somebody has to do something about it or get someone else to take over ,i am not sayiny that things doesn’t happen but at the international airport where is the security ? mygod what else , i agree with some of the comments they better check to see if anyplanes missing,people can do anything they like at the airport and nobody knows what happen . who would want to go where it is not safe we often say a lot of good things about our country over here .The country is in a mess and no one is doing anything about it everyone is fulling their pockets and the country is going down hill thats why everyone want to leave that too bad and shame on the whole admin and the gov’t and it is true when u go home they give you the run around acting as if they are doing their job but i guess it is not so SHAMWe SHAME ON YOU GOV
I’m speachless , stealing the fuel maybe , but runway lights !! That’s pathetic !!
Pleople’s lives are at risk .
It’s because of incompetent people running these institutions why the crime is so rampant. There is no forward thinking. This guy Ghir needs to be fired.
In Burnham time this type of lawlessness never took place. Burnham ran a thight ship.
Now we have a bunch of rookies running things.
No wonder the big airlines scared to land in Guyana.
Not only ,CJIA but security at many of the caribbean airports leaves a lot to be desired. And I am speaking of the perimeter outfield. We concentrate mainly on the Check-In side of security, doing a good job, I might add. As a person with some experience , not criminal, I’ll have no problem in breaching the security at some of these airport.