Three Berbice men arrested, goods seized
Stabroek News
August 23, 2002
Three men were arrested and a quantity of uncustomed and other items were seized by the army and police over the last two days as they intensified their search for two missing high-powered weapons.
A release from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) yesterday said the men were arrested in Corentyne, Berbice during a joint army/police operation on Tuesday and Wednesday. They were brought to the city late Wednesday night and are being held for questioning.
The army said the seized uncustomed goods were handed over to the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS) and Customs officials in Corentyne, Berbice.
According to the release, one of the men, wanted for armed robbery, was found hiding in a “fowl pen” after the joint team searched his home at around 5:31 a.m. on Wednesday.
Based on reports that another of the men possessed two Uzi submachine guns, his home was searched at 3:30 pm on Tuesday. The search revealed a military type bayonet and a camouflage suit, but no weapon was found, the army said. He was nevertheless taken into custody for questioning.
The home of another man was also searched. However, the army said he had left for Siparuta the previous day to take a barge to Crabwood Creek. Sources said during the search of this home, large quantities of uncustomed goods were found, along with three black balaclavas, a 12-gauge shotgun, an American type camouflage suit and one green poncho-type suit. The uncustomed goods consisted mainly of foodstuff.
Another search was conducted at the home of the third man held, who is alleged to be a smuggler.
There, also, the ranks found large quantities of uncustomed goods in a truck. The search was carried out at approximately 3:55 p.m. on Tuesday.
The army said the arrest of the three men and seizure of uncustomed goods were as a result of a joint army/police operation aimed at recovering an AK-47 rifle and an M70 allegedly sold to Mohamed Shahuruddin called `Plantain’, of 168 Albert Street, Number 79 village, Corriverton and Rabindranauth Persaud, of Lot 7 Dowding Street, Kitty.
The army launched a probe earlier this month after an AK-47 was found in a black plastic bag under a bed at the Ruimveldt Coast Guard base in Georgetown. Subsequent checks in the arms room revealed that another AK-47 and two M70 rifles were missing. Only one AK-47 and an M70 were recovered.
Four solders have since been arrested. Two of them are to testify against Shahuruddin and Persaud.