In an extensive search operation, members of the Joint Services are combing the Deep South Rupununi, in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) focusing on areas near Bashaizon Village and along the Takutu River, as they pursue six masked gunmen involved in a shocking armed robbery and abduction.
The daylight attack took place on Saturday morning at the Bush Mouth sub-station of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in Marudi.
The victims of the incident included five Guyanese and four Brazilian nationals, among them Natural Resources Officers Victor Adams, 34, and Romain Simon, 39; Christopher Charles, a 17-year-old barber from Lethem; Curtis Charles, a 35-year-old Lieutenant in the Guyana Defence Force; and 30-year-old community mines ranger, Karl Antone, from Aishalton Village.
Also abducted were Benedict John, a 28-year-old caretaker from Karaudanau Village, and three Brazilians—29-year-old general manager Dionei Farias De Brito and 22-year-old operator Eduardo Moreira Freitas, both from Boa Vista.
The group was en route to Marudi Backdam and had stopped at the GGMC checkpoint when they were ambushed by six masked men armed with rifles. Speaking Portuguese, the assailants strategically positioned themselves around the checkpoint before approaching the group, overpowering them, and initiating a robbery. The gunmen seized a quantity of raw gold, two Glock pistols, and a Mavado watch valued at $140,000 before taking the group hostage and fleeing in a vehicle.
Following the robbery and abduction, a Joint Services team launched a pursuit. The armed suspects eventually abandoned the vehicle, allowing Joint Services personnel to successfully rescue all hostages unharmed. Police, however, have yet to confirm the exact location where the vehicle was recovered or any details about other items potentially left behind by the gunmen.
The Joint Services’ search continues, with authorities patrolling the rugged terrain around Bashaizon Village and the Takutu River day and night in hopes of locating the suspects. As of Sunday evening, the search was still active.
