Seven youths and a woman were on Tuesday warned and removed from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri as the police launched an operation to crack down on begging at that facility.

A Government Inform-ation Agency (GINA) press release yesterday said that the operation had been launched by the Police Juvenile Branch, but that ‘black caps’ (illegal porters) had also been warned. The release quoted Crime Chief, Leon Trim, as saying that the warning issued was the first and final one.

“We will maintain some order at the airport,” the crime chief said. “We will take strong action and even consider prosecution if we still find anyone harassing persons at the airport.”

The operation was launched following an editorial [ please note: link provided by LOSP web site ] in the Stabroek News last week expressing disapproval of child beggars, touts and illegal porters harassing passengers arriving on flights.