GA 2000 rigid on preventing 'backtracking' and smuggling
Guyana Airways (GA) 2000 has taken steps to protect itself from the consequences of 'backtracking' and smuggling. A GA 2000 release issued yesterday noted passengers arriving with false documents in the US or Canada on a foreign-based airline, become the responsibility of the airline and extremely heavy fines may be imposed by these authorities, which can financially cripple a small airline. The release noted that since it began its operations on July 9, the airline's security staff had stopped 16 persons who presented fraudulent documents in an attempt to travel as passengers to North America. It said that these persons "were referred by GA 2000 staff to the immigration authorities at the airport." Referring to a report on one of the evening newscasts, which said that four persons had escaped the scrutiny of its security staff, the airline said that "three passengers on GA 2000 flights were detained by the US immigration authorities." "These passengers were legally documented, but were nevertheless detained by the US immigration authorities for reasons completely dissociated with GA 2000's security responsibilities. The detained persons were deemed to be 'inadmissible aliens' by virtue of their 'potential liability' under US immigration laws. These persons were returned to Guyana at their own expense," the release said. "GA 2000 as is the case with all airlines flying out of Georgetown, will continue to maintain the strictest possible security measures both internally and externally, against attempts by organised crime to use the airline for illegal entry into another country and criminal activities involved with drug, gold and currency smuggling or any other criminal activity which endangers the airline."
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