Five firearms as well as a quantity of ammunition were recovered in separate operations in the early hours of today along the East Coast of Demerara.
The first operation was conducted around 01:00hrs at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. It stemmed from a report made by Clarence Griffith, a licensed firearm holder of Aubrey Barker Road, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, who went to Ruimveldt Police Station at about 10:00hrs on Christmas Day where he reported that his firearm was stolen.
Griffith told police that he suspected his 16-year-old nephew, a student at a secondary school on the East Coast of Demerara, stole his firearm (a Brown and Black .32 Pistol) along with six matching rounds from his home.
Police arrested the teenager in Georgetown and questioned him about the missing firearm.
The teen admitted that he stole the weapon and related to police that he handed over the firearm to another teenager, a 16-year-old male student, who lives at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, for him to hide.
Acting on this information, the police conducted a joint operation with ranks from Regional Divisions 4A and 4C. The ranks went to the home of the 16-year-old student at Beterverwagting, where he was contacted in the presence of his mother. He was questioned about the firearm he admitted to receiving from Griffith’s nephew.
He then took the police to the back of his house and pointed out a spot where he hid the firearm and six matching rounds of ammunition. Both teenagers are in custody as investigations continue.
Then, at about 02:50hrs today, Police were on mobile patrol duty with a Force motor vehicle in the vicinity of Melanie, East Coast Demerara. The ranks, acting on information received, went to Melanie Market Road, where they made contact with a 26-year-old miner.
A search was about to be conducted on his person, but the 26-year-old ran away in an attempt to escape. The ranks gave chase, and he was caught, but not before pelting a metal object under a nearby motorcar.
The police recovered the object, which turned out to be one .32 Taurus Revolver with four live matching rounds of ammunition. The suspect was told of the allegation, cautioned, and he remained silent. He was then arrested and escorted to Vigilance Police Station along with the said firearm and ammunition.
Then at around 03:00hrs this morning, a party of police ranks were on mobile patrol with a Force motor vehicle in the vicinity of Vigilance, East Coast Demerara. The ranks, acting on information received, went to 2J’s Supermarket located at Strathspey, East Coast Demerara where they made contact with a 29-year-old businessman of Bladen Hall. A search was conducted on his person, and one black .32 Taurus Pistol with eight live matching rounds of ammunition was found in his crotch. A further search was carried out on him, and in his left-side pants pocket, the ranks found one black and silver firearm with seven live matching rounds of ammunition.
The businessman was told of the offence committed, cautioned, arrested and escorted to Vigilance Police Station along with the two firearms and ammunition.
And at around 05:20hrs this morning, the same party of police ranks were on mobile patrol in the vicinity of Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, when the ranks received certain information and went to Melanie Market Road.
On arrival, the ranks saw a male, who was later identified as a 31-year-old Miner of Nabaclis, running away. The ranks gave chase, and the suspect was seen throwing an object on the southern parapet. The suspect was apprehended, and a search was carried out on his person, but nothing was found.
The suspect was taken back to the area where he threw the object and where one firearm was found on the parapet. The suspect was told of the offence committed, cautioned, arrested and escorted to Vigilance Police Station along with the said firearm.
Investigations are in progress.
