'Blackie' was wanted too for killing cop
LINDEN `Blackie' London, the man long on the run from the Police before he was killed in a shootout last week, was also wanted for the murder of a Police Corporal, according to his rap sheet. Police are continuing investigations into how he accumulated his heavy arsenal of weapons, including big guns and grenades, found after his death at the Toucan guest house at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, where he was holed out when caught in a joint Police-Army operation that ended in his death last week Wednesday. In addition, Police are checking a cellular phone found at the scene of London's death but a senior official said cops did not have an address book another newspaper reported he had left behind. "We know nothing about an address book belonging to London", a senior Police official told the Chronicle. Investigators are also trying to round up other members of the gang London, 38, had recruited for a string of deadly and brazen robbery attacks in and around Georgetown. The list of crimes he was wanted for in a career of crime that began in 1989 includes the cold-blooded killing of Police Corporal Richard Faikal at Anna Regina on November 21, 1997 during a gang robbery at the branch there of the Guyana National Cooperative Bank (GNCB), Police said. Faikal was shot dead when he confronted the heavily-armed gang that stormed into the bank, terrorising staff, customers and villagers. Police said London and his gang fled with some $50M from the GNCB branch. London was also wanted for: ** Robbery under arms committed on Glen Lall at Republic Park, East Bank Demerara during 1989. ** Possession of arms and ammunition at Ogle Airstrip on 1995-09-07 when he threatened to shoot Constable Lall of the Narcotics Branch during the execution of his duties (Lall was unarmed). ** Murder committed on Jonathan Belle and Raul Casimero on 1996-02-24 at Chenapou, Upper Potaro River. ** Attempted murder committed on Corporal 12160 Young, Lance Corporal 13730 Thornhill, Constables 14845 Abraham and 15181 Brummell, when he threw a grenade at them at Kaieteur, Upper Potaro in 1996 when they attempted to arrest him. ** Possession of explosive device at Kaieteur, Upper Potaro in 1996. ** Robbery under arms committed at Jotish Panday's home in Georgetown where $60,000 in cash and jewellery were stolen. His vehicle was stolen and used by London in 1998. ** Robbery under arms committed on DIDCO Trading in Georgetown, where $872,000 and one 9 mm pistol were stolen on 1999-09-01. ** Robbery under arms and attempted murder committed on B&N Cambio, in America Street, Georgetown where $3,000,000 was stolen on 1999-09-22 (five counts). ** Robbery under arms committed on Bhagwandin Rice Mills at Crane, West Coast Demerara in September 1999 (Belgrave and others involved). ** Robbery under arms committed on the National Insurance Scheme headquarters on Brickdam, Georgetown where $13,000,000 was stolen last month. Police said he was also wanted for four other robberies, three in the Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown area and one at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara. Post mortem reports showed that London, a former Special Forces member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the young woman killed with him in the apartment building died from haemorrhage and shock from multiple gunshot wounds, a Police spokesman said. London died when he was shot after an almost 12-hour confrontation with a joint Police-Army contingent. In the confrontation with the Police and Army last week, he shot GDF Special Forces member Lance Corporal Lennox Harvey in the head and wounded another soldier and a Policeman. Police found shotguns, a sub-machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, hundreds of rounds of live and spent ammunition, a 9MM pistol, a .22 revolver, a bullet proof vest and military uniforms among other items London had in the building.
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