A Roraima Airways employee was yesterday morning arrested by security at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri (CJIA), after he was found with two kilogrammes (approximately four pounds) of cocaine on his person.
This most recent bust was made early yesterday morning and this newspaper was told that security officials arrested another person who was at the time assisting the Roraima Airways worker as airport staff prepared passengers for boarding an outgoing flight. A source stated that the drug courier and his accomplice may be part of team of airport employees who would facilitate the trafficking of the drug through the CJIA.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told this newspaper yesterday that the airline employee was caught with two packets of cocaine within the terminal building of the airport. It is suspected that the drugs may have been destined for an outgoing Delta Airlines flight.
There has been a series of drug finds at the CJIA in recent months as drug traffickers continue to target the port of entry as a means of ferrying the illegal substances overseas. While persons have been questioned in some instances, few cases have reached the courts and an airport source noted yesterday that the issue points to a weak security network at the CJIA.
The last find, prior to yesterday’s, was on August 21, when security officials discovered almost two kilos of cocaine in a bag close to the airport’s western perimeter fence. The 1.978 kg find was made just days after several baggage handlers were dismissed from their jobs in connection with a larger drug find at the airport earlier in the month.
The drugs were suspected to have been destined for an outgoing flight, Persaud had said then, while noting that there is suspicion of the involvement of airport workers with drug traffickers.
On August 2, a bag containing 50 pounds of cocaine was found at the airport. In that case, the cocaine was discovered on a trolley which was being prepared for loading an outgoing Caribbean Airlines flight. The cocaine was hidden in an unclaimed bag without a nametag. The more than 20 parcels, were wrapped in plastic. The drugs had a street value of approximately $25 million.
Also, in March this year, two duffle bags containing 10 kilos of cocaine were found on the airside of the CJIA, near the perimeter fence. An engineer attached to a local airline stumbled upon the two bags while working in the area. No one was charged in connection with that discovery.
Security personnel at the CJIA told this newspaper that the airport should carry out more stringent background checks on persons who are employed by entities there, mainly the ground handling agents.
