Owner of plane detained by SOCU arrested
-as money laundering probe continues
The Guyanese owner of the airplane detained by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle last week as part of a money laundering probe is in custody.
Up to press time last evening, the aircraft was also still impounded as SOCU continued its investigations.
The Beechcraft BE 58 plane, bearing registration number YV-2377, had reportedly arrived here from Puerto Ordaz in Venezuela on Wednesday and was promptly detained. SOCU Head Sydney James had confirmed the seizure of the plane, while stating that “SOCU has detained an aircraft as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation.”
He had declined to release more information.
Roraima Airways is the ground handling agent for the aircraft. Roraima Airways head, Gerry Gouveia, when contacted, had said that the plane arrived on Wednesday and was scheduled to leave the following day.
He was also unable to provide any additional information on the matter. The detention of the plane came just weeks after passengers and crew of another aircraft were detained at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, before being released and cleared of any wrongdoing.
On July 10th, four Venezuelan businessmen landed at the CJIA on the chartered aircraft along with the pilot and co-pilot.
According to sources, Guyanese pilot Michael Brassington invited the men to discuss investments in the oil and gas sector here and had scheduled meetings before arriving.
The following day the pilots were arrested by police and the passengers and Brassington turned themselves over to law enforcement authorities.