The Guyana Police Force have completed their investigation into the incident where a passenger was allowed to depart the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri with 12 rounds of ammunition in a magazine which was only detected by security officials at the Piarco airport in Trinidad.
Sources have told Stabroek News that the file on the report has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice even as changes have already being implemented at the airport to ensure that such a lapse does not occur again.
The ammunition and magazine was found in a pocket of the suitcase of the Director of the Institute of Applied Science and Techno-logy (IAST), Dr Suresh Narine, on December 14 and according to Commis-sioner of Police (Ag) Henry Greene the incident was a “genuine mistake” on the director’s part.
Stabroek News contacted Dr Narine for a comment on the issue but while confirming the incident said he said he would prefer to await a public pronouncement by the police before commenting on the issue.
Stabroek News has since seen a copy of a letter, which Dr Narine sent to Greene and copied to several other officials, in which he apologised for the incident and promised to “exercise utmost care in the future before I travel, and in the securing of my licensed firearm and associated ammunition.”
In the letter Dr Narine explained that on the night before he travelled he had accompanied another government official to the east coast to inspect the state of the flooding with the view of preparing to distribute supplies to the affected residents in the communities. He said that subsequent to the visit he spent the remainder of the night at the IAST removing chemicals and sensitive equipment higher, where a potential flood would not have affected them.
“As a result, I returned home with little time to spare before I had to check in at the airport. I retrieved my briefcase, within which I had stored the loaded magazine for my firearm, and rushed to the airport, completely forgetting that the offending material was in a compartment of the briefcase,” the letter said. Dr Narine further stated that it was unfortunate that the scanner at the VIP lounge did not record the presence of the ammunition and as a result he boarded the aircraft with the items in his briefcase.
He said the scanner in Trinidad detected the item and he was asked to accompany officials for questioning. “Upon my explanation that this was a very unfortunate and serious mistake, but a mistake nevertheless, the Trinidadian authorities indicated they were willing to accept my explanation if my identity could be verified and if it could be verified that I was the holder of a licensed firearm which utilised the 9 mm ammunition…”
Dr Narine said in the letter that it was fortunate that Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett was on the same flight and she assisted by identifying him and facilitated a telephone call to the commissioner’s office.
“The Trinidadian authorities, upon verifying in this manner my identity and the fact that I could have made the mistake by dint of being a licensed firearm holder, were most helpful in enabling me to get on my connecting flight,” the letter said. It stated that the authorities in Trinidad were willing to accept his apologies and explanation that the situation was due to a grievous mistake and did not press charges but confiscated the ammunition.
Dr Narine offered to make himself available at any time if the police wanted to interview him in connection with the incident and provided contact details. He said he took full responsibility for the incident and assured the commissioner that he would “exercise intense care in the future in all matters related to the securing of my firearm and ammunition, and in the contents of my person and luggage when travelling and at all times.” He said he travels a lot and December 14 was the first time such an incident occurred.
Stabroek News has been reliably informed that Dr Narine’s briefcase was passed through the VIP lounge scanner and it is not clear how the security officials manning it did not detect the ammunition.
