Taxi driver remanded over dumping of AK-47 rifles in Berbice

Thirty-three-year-old Stephen Rajah, a taxi driver of Back Street, Goed Fortuin Village, West Bank Demerara who was nabbed after allegedly dumping 10 AK-47s in Berbice was on Thursday remanded to prison. Rajah was arrested on Friday, May 22, 2026 and appeared before Magistrate Michelle Mathias at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Thursday where he was slapped with gun possession charges.

He was not required to plead to the indictment and was remanded to prison until June 15, 2026. Rajah was taken into custody following the discovery of 10 abandoned AK-47 rifles along the No 11 Village Public Road, East Coast Berbice (ECB), Region Six.

It was reported that Police were conducting a stop-and-search exercise along the Berbice River Bridge Access Road in the early hours of Friday when they attempted to stop a black Toyota Fielder Waggon, motor car HC 9018, but the driver reportedly drove away from the ranks.

However, acting on information received, the ranks later conducted a search along No 11 Village Public Road, where the 10 high-powered rifles were found wrapped in plastic and cloth.

Upon further inspection, the firearms reportedly bore markings consistent with 7.62x39mm rifles. It was further observed that sections of the firearms appeared to have been tampered with, suspected to have been done to obscure serial numbers.

The firearms were transported to the Central Police Station, where they were lodged. According to information received, further investigations led to identifying the driver of the getaway motor car as a resident of Goed Fortuin, WBD.

With the support of other ranks from the other Police divisions, the car was subsequently intercepted at Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Meanwhile, later in the day, a motor car, a white Toyota RunX bearing registration number PSS 4272, suspected to have also been involved in the transportation of the firearms, was found abandoned at Second Street, Savannah Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice.