THE Police Force yesterday reported that following intensive professional work over the last few weeks, several intelligence sources have revealed a "clear pattern of criminal activities designed to create a climate of instability" in the country and that raids are made on selected targets.

The Police are therefore urging members of the public to take precautionary measures to protect themselves against attacks by the criminal groups.

People should avoid cavorting in lonely or dark places and to report any unusual or suspicious movements, the Police advised in a press release.

Police said that earlier in the year, sources reported that questionable characters were recruited to carry out criminal activities during the course of protest demonstrations (since the March 19 elections), utilising the enabling environment which was being created.

It said further information now suggests that these raids and attacks on unsuspecting householders, taxi drivers and members of the public are aimed at "selected targets".

Part of the criminal operation, which has been revealed, involved targeting hire car drivers, leading to theft of vehicles, which are used to perpetrate crimes, Police said.

The Police said unarmed and defenceless citizens who are unappreciative of the need to tighten up on personal and household security procedures are also targets.

According to the Police, the third aspect of the criminal programme "is to strengthen the enabling environment".

The release said this is done "by having certain media houses prepared to give views, which are intended to reduce the resolve of the Police to fight crime and to court certain responses on their programmes."

Police said the plan was confirmed by a series of recent armed robberies.

In a synopsis of the armed robberies, Police said that on June 25, armed Afro-Guyanese men robbed businessman Rahamat Alli, of Brickery on the East Bank Demerara, of cash and jewellery. He was shot and later died while receiving treatment in hospital.

Later that day, at Lot 9 Houston Public Road, East Bank Demerara, armed Afro-Guyanese men robbed Lakeram Ramdeen and family of a tape recorder and television set.

At 03:00 hrs that same day, unidentified masked men, two of whom carried guns, robbed Samintra Etwaroo, of La Retraite, West Bank Demerara, of $90,000 in gold jewellery, Police said.

On June 26 at Lot 196 Century Palm Gardens, Durban Backlands, armed Afro-Guyanese men robbed Clyde Perreira and family of cash and articles valued at $287,000.

And the next day, June 27, Kads Khan, of Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown, and Chinese National, Chow-Hin-Mo, of Paradise, East Coast Demerara, were both robbed by armed Afro-Guyanese men, Police said.

The Chinese National was robbed of $300,000 while Khan was robbed of a quantity of articles which were later recovered, the release said.