The St Vincent Government made its first public statement on Wednesday regarding the circumstances surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the private Gulfstream jet (N337LR). The aircraft departed from Canouan on Friday afternoon and vanished from radar 7 minutes into its sightseeing flight north of the island.
According to Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the authorities in St. Vincent and Grenadines have been in contact with two Latin American countries of relevance on the matter, as well as the relevant authorities in the United States and the regional security system, with certain information.
”It has become evident that the plane didn’t so much disappear, because the thesis that has been operated on is that they turned off the transponder. That’s at least what the authorities advise me. Having communicated with all the other authorities, there is no evidence of anything illegal that boarded the aircraft from Canouan.”
Gonsalves said the information that the government has through contact with the external authorities is that they have a clear idea as to what happened.
“As a matter of that nature, they don’t expect me to be coming out and talking about every bit of information that comes to me through the security forces. But this is what I mean by communication.
Sometimes you have to know when you must talk, what you must say, and if you must say anything at all, because sometimes you just have to wait until the time is necessary and desirable for you to say certain things.”
”I think most sensible people who are listening to me understand what I’m saying. You may use a particular visit as a decoy for something that you want to do.”
The St. Vincent Times previously reported that the flight plan was deemed illogical. This is because an aircraft of that particular model would not require a four-hour fuel supply for sightseeing purposes, as indicated in the flight plan. It is believed that N337LR landed on a private airstrip in South America, potentially in Venezuela, as it is located just one hour away from the Grenadines.
The St. Vincent Times also reported that the DEA (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) has been monitoring N337LR for a considerable period of time.
According to the annual reports of the DEA, Gulf-streams aircraft are included in an increasing quantity of ‘narco planes’ employed for the illicit transportation of cocaine from South America. According to the report, these aircraft have the capacity to transport 14 or more passengers across a distance of around 4,000 miles, which makes them well-suited for smuggling purposes. Additionally, they can be operated from relatively basic and clandestine airstrips.
