Six men detained in Buxton sweep
Appliances, implements seized
Stabroek News
May 22, 2003
The army has detained six persons and confiscated a number of electronic appliances and other household articles after a cordon and search operation in Buxton yesterday.
Those detained include a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old. They are being held at the Vigilance Police Station, East Coast Demerara.
According to an army source, the men were found hiding and attempted to run from the soldiers. In their attempt to flee, they ran into strategically placed ranks who then apprehended them.
The joint Police/Army operation occurred between 12:45 pm and 3 pm and the areas covered were the railway embankment at Buxton, Company Road, Plantain Walk, Middle Street, Wilkin Street, the East Coast Public Road, Brushe Dam and Friendship Middle Walk. According to sources, 15 houses and 6 vending stalls were searched. The following items were unearthed: one camouflage cap, one pair of US army camouflage pants, a large quantity of legumes, two Holy Bibles, one large Aiwa stereo set, one CD stereo set, one CD box, one cycle, one Black & Decker chainsaw, one carpenter's plane, one hoe, seven white plastic chairs, one tarpaulin, two rakes, one lamp on a stand, one gold scale, one grocer's scale, one American camouflage suit, two hammocks, one Sharp television, one Samtron VCR, two remote controls (one Sharp and one Zenith), one transformer, one large cooler and one bag of brown nuts.
The source revealed that the armed forces had had information that a stall which was searched previously was being used by persons as a lookout for potential criminal activity. A call was made to persons of the community to identify the household items which the forces suspect to have been unlawfully obtained, the source said. Investigations into the items and the detained men are said to be continuing.
The joint forces had said previously that they would not withdraw or reduce the operations tempo until they are convinced that the threat to their members is removed and there is a return of normalcy and law and order in Buxton.
The latest raid follows a number of joint army/police patrols in the village since the shooting death of GDF Lance Corporal, Shemton Dodson, 24, last Thursday. Also killed in that incident were Leslie Anthony Peters and wanted man Mark Anthony Phillips.
On Friday more shooting erupted in the village as the GDF moved to clear some of the roads that had been blocked. Gary Anthony Smith was shot and killed on the same day in a confrontation with the police.
On Saturday, the army and police rescued kidnapped businessman Viticharran Singh from a house on Company Road and four men were arrested and handed over to the police.
And on Sunday the army and police conducted a number of cordon and search operations in the area and four persons were arrested following the discovery of two motorcycles suspected to be stolen. One of the cycles is also suspected to have been used by February 23 escapee, Shawn Brown.
Deon Gordon, 23, was also shot by members of an army patrol on Sunday after he was challenged to stop. He proceeded to pull something out of a black bag and this prompted the army to fire at him. But when the bag was searched it was found that it contained marijuana. Gordon lost his right arm as a result of the shooting.
And on Monday, a police/ army operation arrested seven persons, including a relative of Brown, searched 89 houses and questioned 87 individuals.
Two suspected stolen motorcycles were also recovered and handed over to the police along with a number of illegal items.
