SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — The police here were up to late yesterday evening questioning two Nicaraguans whom they said entered Jamaica illegally by boat earlier in the morning.

According to commander of the Westmoreland Police Division, Superintendent Robert Gordon, a third member of the Nicaraguan party is believed to be out at sea. He is now being actively sought by the security forces.

Reports are that the police were summoned by residents of Savanna-la-Mar who held two men who turned out to be from Nicaragua.

“About sometime after 1:00 this morning two Nicaraguans were held by citizens and the police were summoned. We have them currently in custody running some investigations,” the Westmoreland police commander told the Sunday Observer.

When questioned if the Nicaraguans were suspected to be here on an illegal narcotics mission, Gordon noted that “it's probable because they entered the space illegally, so it is highly probable that they were on some illegal mission”.

This is the second time in three weeks that the police have been called upon to probe the illegal entry of a vessel suspected of being on an illegal mission.

Speculation was rife that a plane that crash landed in Rocky Point on Saturday, January 23 was in the area on a drug mission.

But speaking during a recent virtual press briefing, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson disclosed that the plane was not destined for Jamaica.

The commissioner revealed that the incident has become the subject of a transnational probe.

The aircraft — a Cessna XB-JMR twin engine — made a landing on the coast based on claims from citizens who reportedly saw the aeroplane fall from the sky.

Reports from the Lionel Town police are that about 7:00 pm, they were summoned to the location and on their arrival the aircraft was spotted and checked. No passengers or cargo were seen on the plane or in its vicinity.

Several checks were made at nearby hospitals, but medical personnel reported that no one arrived at their facility from the crash site.

Residents who braved crocodile-infested waters to reach the aircraft, told the Observer that when they reached the landing site there was no one on board.

The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority reported that the aircraft was not registered to fly.

In a media interview, director general of Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority Nari Williams-Singh said that the aircraft was registered in Mexico, but was deregistered and was not noted as having been flown since January 2005.

— Horace Hines