The two foreign nationals who were remanded for illegal entry and possession of narcotics, were today slapped with more charges which they admitted to.
Juan David Caicedo Villa, a 32-year-old pilot of Villavicencio, Colombia, and Gustavo Adolfo Riascos Gomez a 48-year-old pilot/businessman of Tachira San Cristobal, Venezuela appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where they both were slapped with more charges.
They were previously charged with illegal entry and illegal possession of two grams of cannabis. They had denied the charges and were remand.
However, when they were hauled before the Chief Magistrate, the duo pleaded guilty to the charges which alleged that on November 4, 2021 at Mahdia Airstrip, they interfered with an aircraft, operating a civil aircraft without a certificate and insurance and also recklessly operating the said aircraft.
The men were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, each, for operating the aircraft without a certificate. For the latter charges, the men were fined a total of $11M or serve a default of three years’ imprisonment.
On November 4, the Law enforcement and aviation authorities confirmed that an unregistered aircraft in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) landed at the Mahdia airstrip.
The two foreign nationals were aboard the aircraft when it landed and were taken into police custody. The Guyana Police Force on Friday morning reported that the ranks of Mahdia Police Station observed the aircraft circling the airstrip in an attempt to land at about 18:00 hrs on Thursday.
As a result, the police ranks immediately went to the airstrip and on arrival around 18:05 hrs, a six-seater Piper aircraft was seen on the ground in front of Trans Guyana’s hangar. The men were standing in front of the aircraft talking to the security and ramp attendant.
A search of the men and the plane found nothing illegal. The aircraft contained three 15 gallon drums – two of which contained fuel -, personal effects and two grams of suspected cannabis with bamboo wrap.
