Three Guyanese nationals including the driver of a bus, have been arrested after they attempted to smuggle nine Brazilian nationals over to Guyana using an illegal crossing in the Region Nine area that borders Brazil.

The Police Force said the arrest was made after investigators in the area were alerted to the plan. 

At an illegal crossing in Takatu, the driver and two Lethem residents were caught red-handed packing the bus with the Brazilian nationals.

The driver who is also from Lethem said he was hired by the other two Guyanese to transport the Brazilians to Georgetown.  

The three Guyanese were immediately arrested while the Brazilians were escorted to their side of the border and handed over to Brazilian Police.

Guyana has closed off its border with Brazil and has been monitoring illegal crossings in the Lethem community, fearing a spread of the coronavirus.

Lethem has recorded five cases of coronavirus. Those persons were placed in isolation in the area. Two of them are children who live in Brazil but had crossed over to prepare for examinations.

Brazil has recorded over 1.6 million coronavirus cases with more than 65,000 deaths.

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