CANU Rank names police narcotic constable as accomplice in airport ‘shakedown’ racket
The Customs Anti-Narcotics rank who caught on Camera having an argument with a female outgoing passenger at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport earlier this week will be fired today. This is after he admitted to running a shakedown racket along with a Guyana Police Force Constable attached to the narcotic Unit and who is also based at the airport.
Osafa Matherson is the CANU rank who a woman accused of attempting to plant narcotics on her and began videoing him after he attempted to subject her to another search and also demand money from her. Matherson also named a ‘Constable King’ of the police narcotics Unit who is part of his unlawful and unethical practices which has been ongoing for months.
BIG Smith Crime Watch was told that Matherson would use his CANU training to profile passengers who appear weak or intimidated by the many security postures at the airport and after they would cleared customs and when they are seated waiting to board their flight he and or the King would approach them and put allegations to them.
Matherson has been with CANU for six months now while King has been with the police narcotics for in excess of three years.
Information coming from reliably sources have indicated that this is not the first time that Matherson has been fingered in such acts but the incident was never officially report to CANU by the woman who had the experience sometime back. She only came forward after seeing the video earlier this week.
BIG Smith Crime Watch was told that Matherson and King would target persons, especially those who are taking fish out of the country by either telling them that the quantity they are taking out of the country is prohibited and that if they need to have it remain in their luggage, they would have to pass some money. Most times, the fees they demand from the passengers are five thousand Guyana dollars or a bit more.
Officials at CANU have indicated that they are embarrassed at the development as the practice especially by Matherson is not part of the training outside of that, the rank breached all the SOPs by approaching the passengers once she had already cleared customs.
The process we were told is that when a passenger is profiled or search and anything illegal is found, the rank ought to caution the passenger, make the necessary documentation and then immediately inform a supervisor so that the legal mechanism can be kicked in to initiate and further search. At no time should person who is found to be in possession of any illegal substance, be allowed to clear the entire customs process and then be approached in the waiting area.
In this instance, Matherson said that the item was found in the bag and that he approached the woman while she was waiting to board the plane, he however could not say, why she was allowed to clear the entire customs process if indeed she had the item on her.
He is slated to be handed over to the police today for further questioning. It is unclear what the police will be doing with its narcotics rank who was named as the accomplice in this embarrassing racket.
