Just days after a quantity of narcotics went missing from the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigative Department (CID), Eve Leary, Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan has indicated that investigators are zooming in on possible suspects.
While speaking to media operatives on Thursday, the Minister dubbed the recent breach in security as yet another ‘disaster’ that will paint the force in a negative light.
“It is another little disaster that is going to throw negative light on the police force but we are investigating it, because you know, I have my suspicions but I don’t wanna make them public but we have some elements in the police force that are, if they are not totally reckless, they’re so negligent that you have to put blame on some of them,” he said.
Two Mondays ago, Police intercepted 31-year-old Travis Mendonca, who was travelling to the United States. The ranks stated that during a search of the suitcase belonging to Mendonca, 1828 grams of cocaine was unearthed.
The suspect, of Kara Kara, Linden and Ozone Park in Queens, New York, was taken into custody and narcotics trafficking charges were instituted. He was arraigned for narco possession and sentenced to 3 years in prison after he pleaded guilty.
The cocaine was tendered as evidence at Police Narcotics Branch, housed at CID, at the time of its disappearance.
The Public Security Minister, lamenting on yet another incident where the Force’s security systems have been penetrated, highlighted the need for the newly installed property room which was commissioned on Thursday at the CID Headquarters.
“We do have some systems in place but I suppose it’s being violated too often and that is why we want a property room where there will be proper record keeping and so if you were to open the suitcase…all of that would have to be done here and it will be videoed, see here we have a video [recorder] that is going to video all of that so no police wouldn’t come and say well I leff it on the desk and somebody mussy tek am out and that kind of thing,” Ramjattan explained.
Meanwhile, the Public Security Minister reiterated that officials have identified their potential suspects which were drawn from a pool for ranks “infamous for negligence.”
However, he was tight lipped regarding the identity of those individuals on the grounds that the inquiries are still in its early stages.
Acting Top Cop, David Ramnarine in breaking the news to the public did indicate that several members of the Police Narcotics Branch were placed under close arrest.
Following the drug bust, Police had issued a wanted bulletin for 27-year-old Delvor Bunbury of Lot 37 Victoria Road, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara. His name was reportedly called during the investigation.
Bunbury was implicated in a similar incident back in March. He, along with another person, was charged for narco possession. A police officer, Louie Dublin, was also charged in connection with the matter.