The army caught a Charlestown resident on Sunday night in a sting operation after he had approached a soldier about buying an AK-47 rifle.
According to the GDF, the man of Evans Street, Charles-town was nabbed on Sunday evening following an operation by members of the Guyana Defence Force Coun-ter Intelligence Department.
The army said last Friday, a member of 31 Special Forces Squadron reported to his superiors that he had been approached by the man with the intent of purchasing an AK-47 assault rifle.
The army, the release further said, after confirming the report, put a plan in place for the soldier to proceed with the weapon sale resulting in the Charlestown man's arrest.
The sting comes after three Coast Guard ranks were placed under close arrest following the alleged sale of two assault rifles to Mohamed Shaharuddin aka `Plantain' of No. 79 Village, Corriverton and Rabindranauth Persaud of Dowding Street, Kitty.
Since unearthing that conspiracy some two months ago, the GDF Intelligence Unit, the release said yesterday, has conducted a series of security lectures, sensitising members of the force to the dangers posed by those new threats, while reinforcing values of commitment and service.
"We have witnessed one man being arrested because of the special forces member's loyalty, commitment and professionalism," the release said.
In the major eruption of crime this year, a number of AK-47s and other heavy-duty weapons have been used by bandits.