As the probe continues into the theft of several firearms belonging to Radar Security and Supplies Company, Police on Saturday afternoon recovered four more of the stolen guns in Albouystown, Georgetown.
Reports are that one of the suspects took detectives to the Albouystown location where the guns were hidden. At that location, Police recovered three .32 calibre and one 9mm calibre guns.
Five persons were taken into custody on Friday in relation to the disappearance of several weapons from the Radar Security and Supplies Company last year, including the mastermind, a security official.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has said that detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters made the breakthrough in the case after one of the suspects led investigators to a location in South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. He said that during their raid on the property, two of the six stolen weapons were recovered. The probe is ongoing.
Two employees of the Radar Security and Supplies entity had been taken into Police custody in December after six firearms and a quantity of ammunition were allegedly stolen from the entity between Christmas and Boxing Day.
It has been reported that two single-barrel shotguns valued at $950,000; four 9mm Taurus pistols valued at $1,400,000, and five Taurus .32 pistols valued at $1,425,000 were stolen from this security entity.
Also missing were twenty-five 12-gauge cartridges; 538 rounds of .32 ammunition, and 18 rounds of 9mm ammunition. These items were allegedly stolen from the security company’s office at Lot 79 Carmichael Street, Georgetown.
The offices of the Radar Security and Supplies are located in the middle flat of a three-storey wooden building. An office to the western side has a wooden door to the eastern side, and that is secured by a manufactured Yale lock. In that said office, there is a steel ‘strongbox’ in which the security firm secures the firearms and ammunition. The said strongbox is secured by two padlocks. Inside the strongbox, the firearms are chained and padlocked with three padlocks.
The firm’s Chief Security Officer, a 72-year-old resident of Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, claimed that he had checked the firearms on Christmas Day and everything was intact. However, at 18:30h on Boxing Day, a 65-year-old ‘Weapons Training Officer’ from Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD) visited the location and met a 57-year-old security guard from Tucville, Georgetown, who was on duty.
The weapons training officer observed that the door to the office was not secured, but was rather left ajar. He then entered the office, where he observed that the padlocks on the strongbox were cut off, the chain that secured the firearms was also cut, and the firearms mentioned were missing. However, two other shotguns were left in the strong box.
The Training Officer claimed that he then informed the owner of the security service of his findings. Detectives were summoned to the office, and they observed that the padlocks and chain had indeed been cut. The two shotguns were removed from the strong box and lodged. The office was checked, but there was no sign of breakage.
The 57-year-old security guard was questioned, and he claimed that at 17:00h on Boxing Day, he took over duty from a 36-year-old security guard from Paradise Housing Scheme, ECD, who had handed over the key for the said office that housed the strongbox. He claimed that he did not check the office door, nor did he go into the office.
He was arrested, and a search was carried out at his home, but nothing was found.
Checks were made for the 36-year-old security guard at his stated address at Paradise, ECD, but no one was seen at the house, which seems to have been abandoned.
The training officer was also arrested and questioned, and his home was searched, but nothing was found.
