By: Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
Surinamese law enforcement authorities have intercepted two primary fuel-smuggling operations this week, both believed to have originated in Guyana, resulting in the seizure of thousands of litres of gasoline and the investigation of multiple suspects.
According to police in Suriname’s West Region, the first operation took place on Wednesday after intelligence indicated that a vessel had illegally crossed the Corentyne River and landed with fuel. When officers arrived on the river’s right bank, they discovered several drums and jerry cans stacked near a clay dam, apparently prepared for transport.
Moments later, ranks observed a boat speeding away from the scene. Despite a warning shot, the captain reportedly refused to stop and disappeared upriver. The abandoned fuel was seized as evidence as investigators work to identify the individuals involved.
Officials say this incident follows another successful intervention earlier in the week in the Nickerie district. During a surveillance exercise, police intercepted a truck at a gas station loaded with fuel that had been transported from Guyana. Further checks uncovered four large square tanks carrying an estimated 4,000 litres of gasoline.
The gas station’s owner and an employee were arrested. After consultations with Suriname’s Public Prosecution Service, the matter was settled out of court, and both men were released after paying a significant fine.
Surinamese authorities say the crackdown on cross-border fuel trafficking will intensify as investigations continue, noting that illegal fuel trade remains a persistent problem along the shared Guyana–Suriname frontier.
