A critical administrative blunder at a Surinamese police station has left law enforcement hunting for a suspect who was released from custody by mistake earlier this week. The error, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon at the Geyersvlijt police precinct, saw 42-year-old Cecilson Jurgen Raymond, a suspect detained in connection with a major narcotics and organized criminal enterprise case, walk free from the station’s holding cells when he was not supposed to.
The mix-up unfolded at approximately 4:50 p.m. local time, according to initial police reports. Investigations into the incident have confirmed that Raymond was incorrectly processed for release instead of another detainee being held at the same facility: Cecilson Armanai Rihanna, who had been scheduled to be released from custody that afternoon. Both detainees share the same unusual first name, which authorities have suggested may have contributed to the identification error, though no official confirmation of this detail has been released.
As of Thursday morning, law enforcement officials confirmed that they have launched an urgent manhunt to take Raymond back into custody. Authorities have not yet clarified what specific procedural gaps or oversights allowed the mix-up to occur, and investigations are still ongoing to determine the full set of circumstances that led to the wrongful release. Police have not issued any public warnings about potential danger to the public associated with Raymond’s release, but have reiterated that their top priority is apprehending the suspect as quickly as possible to resolve the error.