Three arrested in Buxton after cordon and search
One found handcuffed to bike
Stabroek News
February 4, 2003
The army and police early yesterday morning arrested three men in Buxton after conducting a cordon and search operation in the village.
A GDF release, which reiterated the army’s continued support of the police, said that the operation involved searches of stalls and shops in central and south Buxton and led to the arrest of three men: Anthony Charles also knows as `Cossom’, of Buxton; Mark King of Lot 3 Public Road, Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara; and Anthony Williams of Company Road Front, Buxton.
It was stated that Charles was to appear in court last Thursday but did not turn up.
According to the release, on January 23, 2002, Charles, a female companion and a driver of the taxi they were in were arrested when a joint army and police roadblock at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara intercepted them and an unlicenced gun was found in the car.
The taxi driver and the female were subsequently released whilst Charles was charged and later granted bail.
The release said King who was found handcuffed to a bicycle in one of the stalls south of the Railway Embankment gave two different versions of his presence in the village while Williams said that he was on his way to Strathspey when he was arrested.
The three were handed over to the police who are conducting investigations.
The army release said that since the commencement of Operation Tourniquet in June last year it has arrested a number of persons who were handed over to the police which has the monopoly for the legitimate use of force in dealing with internal criminal matters.
Other arrests have included Mohamed Shaharudin aka `Plaintain’ of No 79 Village, Corriverton and Rabindranauth Persaud of Dowding Street, Kitty in connection with the conspiracy to purchase arms, and the Good Hope trio found with a cache of arms including Uzis with silencers. The three have since been charged and are before the court.
“The GDF operations such as cordons and searches and road blocks are in direct support of the police,” the release said.
In stating their continued support of the police in their fight against crimes, the army stressed that the socio-political factors relating to this phenomenon must be dealt with urgently in an effort to arrest the deteriorating social conditions.
In recent months, the army has been heavily criticised for not apprehending suspects in the Buxton/Friendship area. Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, President Bharrat Jagdeo recently criticised both the army and police and called for a reshaping of their crime fighting plans.
