2004-12-nieuwsbronnen-engels

Nickerie police have arrested three Guyanese men who were held on Christmas Eve as they were trying to smuggle 11.6 kilos (around 25 lbs) of gold into Suriname, the De Ware Tijd newspaper has reported.

Nickerie Police Commander Elfried Metroos was quoted as saying that the gold haul was the largest ever intercepted along what is known on both sides of the border to be the `backtrack route,' along the Corentyne River. As a result, the police plan to heighten their sea operations in tandem with similar control efforts on land. Police caught the men on a tip-off from the community and they did not attempt to put up any resistance during capture.

In addition to the gold the men were also held with a five-shooter hunting rifle, a .22 calibre hunting rifle and a small quantity of ammunition during the Christmas Eve interception. Police reported that when questioned after they were picked up the three men claimed that the gold and the arms were supposed to be sold in the capital city Paramaribo. They were supposed to meet a contact who would take the goods to the capital for sale.

Although the investigation is still ongoing police said the case is more proof of blooming smuggling activities along the famous `backtrack' route. De Ware Tijd noted that recently the police caught a number of people with goods that were smuggled from Guyana. (Stabroek news)

PHILIPSBURG--After being informed by United States (US) authorities that a US citizen had falsified information about his criminal record to gain legal residence in St. Maarten, Police Chief Commissioner Derrick Holiday said Louis James Attanacio (60) had been deported back to the USA. While it is rumored that Attanacio is wanted in the US for drug-related offences, officials here have declined to comment further on the matter, stating only that he was deported for immigration reasons.

Police spokesman Inspector Johan “Janchi” Leonard said the suspect had been taken from his home at #9 Point Pirouette around 6:30am Wednesday, by immigration officers with assistance of the Police Arrest Team (A-Team). Born in New York, Attanacio had been living on the island for the past three years and had failed to declare his criminal history when he applied for his residence permit.

Holiday said, “If he had declared his criminal history and not tried to hide it he would not have been given legal residence on the island.” He confirmed that US authorities were interested in Attanacio and had given details of the suspect’s criminal history. However, Holiday declined to disclose the nature of the suspect’s prior criminal involvements. Attanacio was held under tight security at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) until his flight arrived. US authorities then took him into their custody, sources close to this newspaper said. (The Daily Herald)

PHILIPSBURG--Some 31 people have been arrested and several small quantities of drugs confiscated since the start of Operation Bethlehem Two on December 6. Police spokesman Inspector Johan “Janchi” Leonard, speaking on behalf of Commissioner Ademar Doran who is in charge of Operation Bethlehem, said most of the arrests involved persons suspected of theft.

He explained that Doran had devised a strategic approach to crime prevention and noted that “since the programme started there has been a significant decline in criminal activities.” Operation Bethlehem is a police crime prevention programme intended to show increased police presence as a deterrent for would-be criminals that was launched a year ago. Doran has divided his team of officers into two groups: one working on prevention and the other concentrating its efforts on reacting to situations.

Several units of police officers are assigned to monitor different businesses such as jewellery stores, restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets and other businesses, and their job is primarily to monitor the activities of everyone in the area of these establishments. More than five units for this function are spread out in different areas and cover the entire Dutch side.

According to Doran’s report, when these officers notice any suspicious behaviour they call in one of the teams from the reactive division who come in and control. “Whether they have to stop a car with suspicious people or control a group of people gathering in one area, they are ready to react in seconds, and I must say that these guys are highly motivated to do that. In fact, if it was not for their motivation to go out there and do this, Operation Bethlehem would not exist,” Doran explained.

He said the controls were spread around the Dutch side of the island and warned, “Any suspicious person will be interrogated, so you would be better off walking with proper identification or you will be hauled into the police station so we can verify that you are a legal resident of the island.” Leonard said the existence of police patrol vehicles in different areas and police officers moving throughout the island had already done a lot in terms of deterring would-be criminals.

He said some officers were identifiable and noted that the reactive units were not easily noticed as they relied primarily on the element of surprise. Operation Bethlehem will end in January 2005 and will then be replaced by the Zero Tolerance programme, which is similar. (The Daily Herald)

FOREIGN Minister Dr. Rudy Insanally has reiterated that the current recourse to the International Treaty on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is the option most likely to resolve the Suriname/Guyana border issue. Dr. Insanally issued this response in a written reply to a question by Opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member of Parliament, Raphael Trotman about what forms of third party involvement the government is engaging in the border issue.

"On our present assessment, recourse to arbitration under ITLOS is the one most likely to resolve the Guyana/Suriname maritime boundary issue more expeditiously and with greater finality than any other," Insanally stated. Referring to what President Bharrat Jagdeo had to say with respect to the issue, the minister quoted: "In these circumstances, the Government of Guyana has a clear and pressing duty to seek to resolve our maritime differences with Suriname by every peaceful means.

"Fortunately, as the Government of Barbados has recently demonstrated in its maritime dispute with Trinidad and Tobago, such means are at hand in the form of procedures available under the law of the Sea to which both Suriname and Guyana are parties. These procedures allow for disputes relating to maritime boundaries between adjacent States which are parties to the Treaty to be submitted for binding resolution to an Arbitral Tribunal established under the Treaty."

As regards boundary issues outside the remit of the Arbitral Tribunal, Insanally said that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), these remain within the mandate of the Joint Border Commissions. If the bilateral mechanism fails to resolve the issues third party involvement could be agreed upon by the parties through recourse to any of the means for the peaceful settlement of disputes provided for in the UN Charter, he said.

"The Government of Guyana will not foreclose any of its options, whether bilateral or multilateral, in seeking an amicable and expeditious resolution of its differences with Suriname," the Foreign Minister assured, adding that "Guyana is fully committed to the amicable and expeditious resolution of its boundary problems with Suriname."

The legal team spearheading Guyana's case in the border dispute with Suriname at the Hamburg-based United Nations International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea has expressed satisfaction at the professional level with the way matters are proceeding. Head of Guyana's legal team, Sir Shridath Ramphal, along two other members, Paul Reichler and Payam Akhavan who were here two months ago to brief the government on the latest developments of proceedings into the case said the "ball has started rolling" and the two sides have been cooperating in the process.

Sir Shridath said the first meeting of the tribunal which took place in London laid the ground rules under which the proceedings will be held, establishing a sound basis for the arbitral process to move forward. The team said it is working hard to prepare Guyana's case, and this involves consulting with a wide range of persons, who are directly and indirectly connected to the process.

It expressed optimism that the dispute would be finally settled in the interest of both parties. The decision of the Tribunal will be final and binding, ending uncertainty which if allowed to continue would be detrimental to the development of natural resources and the economic development of both countries, the team opined. It was explained, however, that matters such as these take protracted periods to conclude but Guyana is hoping and working in the interest of an expeditious conclusion of the dispute.

The Government of Guyana officially notified Surinamese government on February 24 this year of its decision to request the intervention of the UN International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea based in Hamburg, Germany to give a binding decision on the existing maritime dispute between the two CARICOM neighbours. Guyana submitted to Paramaribo a Statement of Claim outlining its case under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The drug ring busted at the John F. Kennedy International airport a year ago was an organisation looking for new ways to sustain its operations after ten years of smuggling cocaine and marijuana out of Guyana, Jamaica and other countries.

Last November twenty-five baggage and cargo handlers were arrested by US law enforcement officials at the New York airport for being part of a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the United States.

US officials sought the extradition of three men from Guyana in connection with the smuggling operations but so far none has been found. And despite efforts to stop the flow of drugs to the US, shipments are continuing to leave Guyana. Two weeks ago, an employee of the Timehri Handling Services was held by authorities at the JFK airport with cocaine in an envelope. The employee was security-cleared at Timehri but authorities there have not officially explained why they had not detected the cocaine.

Several seizures were made during the investigations of the ring busted last year November, the largest haul being 185 kilogrammes (407 pounds) of cocaine with a street value estimated at US$23M found in cargo boxes on September 20, last year.

The arrests came after more than a year of investigations during which time authorities profiled the organisation which was made up of corrupt airport employees who diverted luggage and cargo used as containers for cocaine and marijuana shipments.

An affidavit sworn to by ICE agent Joseph Cangro in support of warrants for Michael Adams and 24 others said such internal conspiracies were very effective in smuggling contraband into the US. "Oftentimes, the involved airport employees, such as baggage handlers and maintenance persons, have virtually unfettered and unsupervised access to arriving international flights prior to their routine inspection," the affidavit noted.

It explained that as a result of this these individuals were able to get illegal merchandise, like drugs, from arriving flights and take it to other locations for pick up. There are security mechanisms in place to observe their activities, like closed circuit cameras, but their familiarity with the systems allow them to plan their operations to avoid detection.

"...Because they are so effective, these types of conspiracies are often entrusted with multi-kilogramme quantities of narcotics, much larger than that which is typically attempted to be brought into the United States by a single narcotic carrier," it was noted. Jamaican-born Adams, also known as `Bigman' or `Bowser', was identified as one of the directors of the organisation at JFK, where he was a baggage handler with Globe Ground North American - a contractor hired by various airlines to perform various services like cleaning and baggage handling.

Surveillance by security officials, including wiretaps, found him to be involved in seven major narco-smuggling operations between January and October of the last year. Cocaine seizures at JFK airport discovered in leftover baggage or on aircrafts prompted the launch of the investigation, which began in October of 2002.

The affidavit cited specifically five large seizures of cocaine by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) off of flights from Universal Airlines, which, it was noted, flies exclusively to Guyana with occasional transit points along the way. Four of the seizures, totalling 109 kilos of cocaine were made from suitcases while the fifth, 53 kilos on October 25, 2002, was made from the top of a baggage container used by baggage handlers to transport luggage from the airplane to other locations.

"It is noteworthy that both the luggage and the baggage container from which the narcotics seized are all accessible to baggage handlers. "Indeed, it is their job to handle these items and transport them from the arriving airline to the terminal in the airport," the affidavit said. But there were no arrests even after airport employees responsible for processing the airline were interviewed and as a result there was periodic surveillance of Universal flights originating from Guyana and landing at JFK airport.

The officer who swore to the affidavit was present during one of the surveillance operations, on January 23, 2003. He observed the baggage containers being unloaded from one of the flights then transported to the baggage carousel from where a handler removed three. He later deposited one of them at the cargo staging area at the airport. A backpack was later found inside by enforcement officials with sixteen brick-shaped packages of cocaine wrapped in masking tape.

He was arrested and agreed to work with law enforcement officials, pointing to Erroldo Weatherly also known as `Junior' and `Dapper', who would lead them to Adams. Officials noted that the Universal flight with the drugs, amounting to 17 kilos, arrived at JFK Airport at 5:52 p.m. on January 23. Telephone traces would later establish that there were eleven calls between Weatherly and Adams between the time the plane landed and seizure.

A surveillance of telephone calls between the two fed investigators crucial evidence about the organisation and methods it developed to evade interdiction by the authorities. On July 17, monitoring agents intercepted conversations between Weatherly and Adams during which they discussed an attempt to smuggle drugs from Guyana that eventually failed. On that day Universal flight 104 from Guyana landed at the airport at 7:19 pm. At 7:53 pm Adams called Weatherly who accused him of giving him wrong information about the location of the drugs aboard the plane:

"The thing that you gave me is not inside and when I realised where it is I could not catch it... you remember you told me ten things. And when I blood the cleet it was a number I was looking for. And when on it and burst the thing, it is packed... I remember that only twelve things there. It's gone. It's gone. It's gone. I couldn't hold that one."

The dialogue between the two was spoken in the coded language that the organisation developed in order to confuse investigators, who they suspected might have been monitoring their calls. But investigators managed to decipher most of what were said using evidence from the operations to corroborate their findings. It was explained in the affidavit that during his conversation with Adams, Weatherly was explaining that the drugs were not in the agreed pick-up location.

By the time he realised that he got the wrong container it was too late and "I couldn't hold on to that one." Weatherly later chastised Adams, who he has been trying to convince to have the drugs sent by cargo rather than baggage containers. "You see, that's why I am telling you that when you do it like that you are burning up the food," he tells him, using the term "food" to refer to the drugs and the loss as "burning."

"Yow like I said, anything you are sending it is a must cargo or [expletive] it. If they down there [narcotics source country] send it like this I am going to walk away. I am not telling a lie," he added. Indeed the affidavit also reported conversations that detailed new ways that the smugglers were exploring to avoid interception but these were also described in coded language. "I'm thinking bout something, something a little different.

"You see the skid. Find out about. Because one of those things, one of those skids I think they can fix about six [possible reference to cocaine and narcotics]," one of them was later recorded as saying. The reason for this was the growing number of seizures by enforcement officials which was noted by some of the operatives:

"...I playing music from since f...ing 1994 ... and you never hear things getting mash-up so. All of a sudden, every f....ing thing getting licked-up. That means, you have to pay attention to the whole damn is making f....ing money, it looks like, it seems as though, one person dance is making money, and he is f...ing informing the rest of the dance, and the dance them busting." This case and several others like it are presently before the courts in New York.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname - The U.S. Embassy here was closed to visitors Wednesday and security increased after officials received credible threats of an attack on the building, a spokesman said. Cliff Djamin, the spokesman, refused to disclose the nature of the threats, but said the mission would be closed through Thursday.

The embassy increased the number of security guards patrolling the building, and the Suriname's government posted more police officers around the perimeter of the compound, Djamin said. The embassy also stepped up security at the residence of U.S. Ambassador Marsha E. Barnes, though there was no specific threat to that building, Djamin said.

The parliament of the former Dutch colony has been considering a U.S. request to boost security at the embassy by rerouting a road that now runs in front of the compound. Washington had requested the change as part of its global measures to improve security at U.S. embassies, not because of specific threats, Djamin said.

Suriname, which won its independence from the Netherlands in 1975, sits on the northeast coast of South America. Slightly larger than Georgia, the country was embroiled in a civil war from 1986 to 1991, with the military battling domestic insurgents. U.S.-Suriname relations have been good since 1991, when the country established a stable, elected government after the civil war.

Washington -- The Organization of American States (OAS) says that contributions by the United States and other nations around the world have helped in the destruction of more than 1 million landmines in Latin America.

In a November 24 statement, the OAS said it welcomed the more than $27 million in donations it has received from the global community for its mine-removal activities since the inter-American body began working in this field in 1991. Countries in the Western Hemisphere that have supported this effort include the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala, the OAS said.

For its part, the U.S. State Department has noted that the United States provides more funding, "by far," than any other country in the world to clear landmines, help mine accident survivors, and educate affected communities on the risks of mines.

The department said that since 1993, the United States has provided close to $1 billion for reducing around the world the threat to innocent civilians posed by landmines left in the ground after conflicts end. That figure represents between one-third and one-half of all the money invested worldwide on mine action by donor nations, the department said. The goal of U.S. assistance is to help avoid deaths and injuries caused by landmines and also to promote economic development and social reconciliation in mine-affected countries that have been beset by conflict.

The OAS said the Central American region, in particular, has made considerable progress in mine removal. In 2002, Costa Rica became the first country supported by the OAS Mine Action Program to be declared "landmine-safe," and Honduras was given the same designation in October 2004. El Salvador completed its mine removal process in 1993, in accordance with that country's peace accords, the OAS said, while Nicaragua and Guatemala also have made progress in mine removal and the destruction of unexploded ordnance. Both those countries are expected to conclude these activities within the next two years, the OAS said.

The OAS Mine Action Program supports such efforts as preventive education on the dangers of landmines, humanitarian mine removal, destruction of landmine stockpiles, rehabilitation of landmine victims, and development of databases on the issue of landmines. Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela are countries in Latin America where stockpiles of landmines have been destroyed, the OAS said.

OAS representatives are participating in a November 29-December 3 global summit on landmine removal in Nairobi, Kenya, where they will highlight the important advances the countries of the Americas have made in eradicating anti-personnel landmines. The conference will review the progress and challenges faced in mine removal issues since adoption of the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty on landmines named for the city in Canada where it was signed in 1997.

The OAS quoted Nicaraguan Defense Minister José Adán Guerra as saying that "mine action does not end with the last mine destroyed or removed, and it should be complemented with concrete programs to support victims who survive these deadly devices." Separately, Lincoln Bloomfield, the State Department's special representative for mine action, has stated that although the United States is not a party to the Ottawa Convention and will not be attending the Nairobi conference, the United States shares "common cause with all who seek to protect innocent civilians from indiscriminately used landmines."

Bloomfield said the United States welcomes "the spirit and commitment of those who have gathered in Nairobi," but added that "we are convinced that much more could be done to protect civilians around the world, not only from persistent anti-personnel mines, but also from persistent anti-vehicle mines and non-detectable mines." Persistent landmines are munitions that remain lethal indefinitely, potentially affecting civilians long after the cessation of military conflict. The State Department says it is persistent mines, "of all sizes and shapes, left behind after conflict, that are killing and wounding innocents around the world."

The department said November 26 that stopping civilian landmine casualties requires a "comprehensive approach addressing landmines of every type that remain hazardous after a conflict has ended, including the larger anti-vehicle landmines that are not covered by the Ottawa Convention." The United States did not sign the Ottawa Convention, the State Department has said, because it still needs landmines for the "defensive capabilities they alone can provide." The convention would take away from U.S. defensive capabilities, putting personnel of the U.S. armed forces at risk, the Department said.

The department said U.S. landmine policy -- which focuses on persistent landmines that can remain a threat for decades -- addresses the security concerns of U.S. Armed Forces without increasing the humanitarian landmine problem because it requires the U.S. military to employ landmines that self-destruct or self-deactivate when they have served their tactical purpose. The United States has ratified a separate international landmine treaty called the "Amended Mines Protocol to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons," that establishes "reasonable, transparent, and verifiable standards for the use of landmines to minimize risks to civilians."

The United States presently maintains no minefields anywhere in the world and has not exported anti-personnel landmines since 1992. The State Department said it is calling on other nations to join the United States in "eventually banning all mines that are persistent and undetectable -- including those not covered by the Ottawa Convention, such as anti-vehicle mines." The State Department's Lincoln Bloomfield says the United States "looks forward to building on its own and others' past contributions to mine action, and working with all nations to reach our common goal of a world where mines no longer pose a threat to civilians."

Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. authorities Wednesday boarded M/V Abdul Rahman, a Canadian-owned cargo ship detained off the coast of Honduras, to examine 900 tons of explosives.

Port officials say the ship, headed to Suriname, stopped to unload a shipment of salt Nov. 23 at Puerto Cortes, north of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, on the Atlantic, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. That's when they discovered its cargo of blasting material used in mines, the report said.

Ships carrying dangerous cargo are required to notify port officials 72 hours before arrival. Honduran authorities have fined the ship's Canadian owner, Hassan Bachacha, the Egyptian captain and the first officer $10,000 for illegally transporting explosives, the report said. The ship and its 12-member crew are under guard. American investigators will authorize the ship's departure after a review of its documents and contents

Lawyers for a Lebanese-flag ship detained off the coast of Honduras after failing to inform authorities of a cargo of explosives called the detention "arbitrary and unjust" as well as discriminatory to Arab crew members. "The ship should be allowed to leave immediately; if not, we will sue Honduras," said Adolfo Pena, spokesman for a team defending the crew of the M/V Abdul Rahman, owned by the Arab B&C Club of Lebanon.

The ship, which is transporting 900 metric tons of mine blasting material and fuses, was detained upon arrival in Puerto Cortes on November 23. Honduran authorities said that the crew failed to give port officials the 72 hours advance notice required under law that it was transporting the explosives. The ship has been anchored 13 kilometers off shore and guarded by police and soldiers. U.S. experts who inspected the ship on Tuesday and Wednesday determined that the explosives had not been adequately secured and posed a danger.

The ship's Canadian owner, Egyptian captain and a first officer from the Sudan have been charged by Honduran prosecutors with illegally transporting explosives and threatening the environmental security of Puerto Cortes. They were fined $10,000 by the merchant marines. Pena said the charges were unjustified.

"This is an arbitrary and unjust detention," he told a news conference. "This is definitely not a case of terrorism. It seems more like discrimination, simply because some crew members have Arab names." The explosives were to be delivered to a mining company in Suriname. Pena insisted that other ships carrying explosives for Honduran mines frequently arrive here yet, "they are not decommissioned or detained."

The crew of the Lebanese-flag ship "has the legal paperwork and the boat is certified to carry dangerous cargo," he said. Honduran prosecutor Mario Dubon said, however, that authorities have "sufficient information to send the three crew members to jail."

Puerto Cortes is a major Central American port 220 kilometers north of the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. The ship was stopping in the port to unload salt before heading to Suriname, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. The owner of the ship has been identified as Hassan Bachacha, of Canada; the captain as Fathy Mohamed Youssef, of Egypt, and the first officer as Gabir Fikrin Shams, of Sudan.

The ship apparently took on the explosives in the Mexican Gulf Coast port of Tampico. Port authorities had reserved one of Puerto Cortes' five international piers for the ship, preventing other cargo loads from arriving there and causing Honduras losses totaling more than $230,000, Villela said. He said the government will try to recuperate the money from the ship's owners. Puerto Cortes receives an average of 10 cargo ships daily.

Explosives-laden Canadian-owned ship arrested in Honduras; U.S. investigates

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) - U.S. experts were examining 900 tonnes of explosives aboard a Canadian-owned but Libyan-flag cargo ship that arrived last week at Puerto Cortes, 220 kilometres north of the Honduran capital, officials said.

The MV Abdul Rahman failed to report it was carrying the explosives, in violation of rules that require 72 hours advance notice, according to Honduran authorities. "The U.S. investigators arrived 24 hours ago and maybe tomorrow will authorize the departure of the ship," Puerto Cortes Superintendent Oscar Contreras said Tuesday. U.S. Embassy officials could not be reached for comment.

Honduran authorities have described the explosives as Type B and Type E blasting material, accompanied by fuses. Contreras said similar explosives frequently come through Puerto Cortes for use in mining operations in Honduras. Nevertheless, the detonation of such a load could have destroyed much of the Caribbean port.

The ship, which arrived Nov. 23, was anchored 13 kilometres off shore and guarded by police and soldiers on Tuesday. Its crew remain under arrest in Puerto Cortes, a major Central American port. The ship's Canadian owner, Egyptian captain and a first officer from the Sudan have been charged by Honduran prosecutors with illegally transporting explosives and threatening the environmental security of Puerto Cortes. They were fined $10,000 US.

Authorities identified the owner as Hassan Bachacha of Canada, but gave no other details. Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Reynald Doiron said the Canadian Embassy in Costa Rica, which is accredited to Honduras, has been instructed to contact Honduran authorities to obtain more information.

The ship apparently took on the explosives at the Mexican Gulf Coast port of Tampico. It was due to stop in Suriname, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic after leaving Honduras. It reportedly stopped in Puerto Cortes to unload some 2,000 tonnes of salt.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Seven people, including two directors of bankrupt airline Air Holland, have been arrested on charges they used the airline to set up a drugs route between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname, it was reported Tuesday.

The arrested directors, who are alleged to have financed the airline for years with illegal drugs money, have been identified as a former Air Holland chief executive and the company's former financial director.

Police raided the homes of the seven suspects in recent weeks, accusing them of money laundering and smuggling at least 633 kg of cocaine. The shipment was discovered several months ago in a container of coffee beans at Rotterdam Port.

According to a report in newspaper De Telegraaf, a spokesman for the public prosecution has confirmed the arrests. A total of EUR 50,000 (US$66.500) and a firearm were also reportedly seized in the raids.

The EUR 25 million (US$33 million) allegedly earned by the drug dealing is believed to have been invested into Air Holland, but the company's planes are not thought to have been used for drug smuggling. The profits were also invested in real estate and other businesses.

The financially-ailing Air Holland has been a source of controversy for some time. It previously hit the headlines after being granted permits by the aviation inspectorate despite the fact that it was almost bankrupt.