Forty persons have been convicted on charges stemming from a Joint Services operation carried out in the Iwokrama Protected Area over two days earlier this month, while another man has been remanded on a firearm charge.
According to a police statement, the operation was conducted between June 13 and 14 and resulted in charges being laid against the defendants on Tuesday.
Five persons – Luiz Angle, Carlos Alberto Lezama Rivas, Oliver Jesus Urdaneta, Anabel Bolívar Flores and Daysmair Jaramillo Carrillo – were charged with both illegal entry, contrary to Section 34(1)(b) of the Immigration Act, Chapter 14:02, and illegal mining, contrary to Section 14(1)(a)(i) of the Mining Act, Chapter 65:01.
Two others, Abigail Hernandez and Dilmarita Figueroa Martines, were charged with illegal entry only, while 33 persons faced charges of illegal mining.
The defendants appeared virtually before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, where they all pleaded guilty to the respective charges.
Those convicted of illegal entry were each fined $50,000 and ordered deported to Venezuela, while each person convicted of illegal mining was fined $25,000.
Meanwhile, in a separate matter, Raul James, a 37-year-old pork-knocker of Kara Kara, Mackenzie, Linden, was charged with possession of a firearm without a licence, contrary to Section 16(2)(a) of the Firearms Act, Chapter 16:05.
James also appeared virtually before Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, where the charge was read to him.
He pleaded not guilty, was refused bail and remanded to prison. The matter was adjourned to September 23.
The following persons were charged with both illegal entry and illegal mining:
- Luiz Angle
- Carlos Alberto Lezama Rivas
- Oliver Jesus Urdaneta
- Anabel Bolívar Flores
- Daysmair Jaramillo Carrillo
The following persons were charged with illegal entry only:
- Abigail Hernandez
- Dilmarita Figueroa Martines
The following persons were charged with illegal mining:
- Kamel Roberts
- Joel Sampson, called “Naldo”
- Alex Simon, called “John”
- Jushan Stephens
- Ezra McCurdy
- Duran Harvey, called “Leopold”
- Ilight Hendricks
- Junior Whittington, called “Jerry”
- Joel Daw, called “Godson”
- Walter Devon, called “Dunce”
- Alex Vincent, called “Bernard”
- Rayon Faleim
- Michael Earle, called “Dove”
- Olden Murray
- Rohan Rambhrrat
- Dexter Atkinson
- Winston Gomes
- Travis McCallum
- Shane McCalmon
- Reaz Khan
- Terrence Hinds
- Ivor Albert
- Angilo Felix
- Shawn Wilson
- Thelston Edward
- Carlos Alberto
- Ronaldo Tudor
- Orin Jones
- Devin London
- Imran Jacobus
- Peter Andrew
- Alanzo Christian
- Sonita Miguel
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