Husband, wife die in motor cycle collision

While fleeing police

National footballer Sheldon Levi , 33 years-old and his 31 year-old wife Alicia Levi, were killed on the spot yesterday morning at approximately 10:30 hours on Camp and Norton Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, as their Suzuki 600 motorbike collided with a car that jumped the major road.

Eyewitnesses recalled that the footballer was escaping from a police van, because he and his wife were not wearing helmets and as they were about to cross Norton Street the bike collided with the speeding car.

Meanwhile, when this newspaper visited the home of the dead man’s relatives at 5 Shirley Field Ridley Square, the atmosphere was tense as the family tried to cope with the tragedy.

The father of the deceased footballer, Linden Levi said he learnt of the incident through a telephone call from an anonymous person. He recalled that the person was reluctant to say whether the accident was fatal.

Levi said he hurried down to the scene and confronted his deepest fear, by seeing the lifeless bodies of his only son and his daughter-in-law on the road.

He said his daughter-in-law had only returned from the United States on Saturday night with her one-year-old son to celebrate the New Year. He stated that the couple had left home around 10:00 hours yesterday to deliver cash to relatives and friends when tragedy struck.

Levi said his son also returned home from the US about three months ago and played football in Linden three Fridays ago in the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament. The footballer played for Western Tigers.

Trying to hold back tears Sheldon’s father said he was his only son remaining, as his other son had died at an early age.

“He was my last son, my other son die at an early age and Sheldon was the only son remaining and one girl, now look at what happen now. This is a real nightmare for this family,” said Levi.

Sheldon and Alicia Levi leaves to mourn their one-year-old son Tyrie Levi and many other relatives and friends. Police had detained the car that was involved in the accident and are conducting further investigations. (Nathalene Defreitas/Guyana Cronicle)

Banks Manager robbed of cash and gun

The manager of the Banks DIH outlet at D’Urban and Hardina Streets, Georgetown, Leonard D’Abreu, was attacked and robbed by four men armed with handguns in the vicinity of the outlet, about 04:40h yesterday.

According to a police report Leonard D’Abreu along with his wife, who is also an employee of Banks, were on their way to lodge an undisclosed sum of cash which was the proceeds of sales from bars operated at a show at the National Park.

On arrival at D’Urban and Hardina Streets in their vehicle, the four men drove up in a grey AT 192 Toyota Carina motor car, held them at gunpoint and took away the nine bags containing the proceeds from the sales as well as a licensed .32 revolver and $60,000.00 cash from D’Abreu and escaped. Police said investigations are in progress. (Guyana Cronicle)

Police issue wanted bulletin in illegal airstrip probe

The police have issued a ‘wanted’ bulletin for 35-year-old Corentyne, Berbice businessman Mool Persaud Maniram. He is wanted to assist with investigations into the discovery of an illegal airstrip at Wanatoba, Corentyne River, Police said. His last known address is Lot 72 Crabwood Creek, Corentyne and he is five feet five inches tall, of medium build and fair in complexion.

The Police said anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Maniram is asked to telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-6978, 225-8196, 225-3650, 226-1326, 225-7625 and 911 or contact the nearest station.

Information on persons volunteering information will be treated with strict confidentiality, the Police assured. Guyana Cronicle)

A man was suspected to have been murdered at Mahaicony yesterday and a suspect is in police custody as investigations continue.

Dead is Hazim Ali called 'Pirate' of Micobie Village, Mahaicony Creek. A police source told Stabroek News that Ali's head bore what appeared to be a chop mark and his feet were bound when a search party found his body in the river yesterday afternoon.

Stabroek News was told that the Ali and the suspect are known to each other and they reportedly went to catch birds up the creek. The suspect allegedly reported to the police that another boat had bumped their canoe at Crab Crop, Mahaicony and Ali fell into the water.

A search party discovered the body close to where the incident reportedly occurred. The suspect was taken into police custody. The body was transported last night to the city by the Lyken Funeral Home. (Stabroek News)

Gunmen operating out of Agricola seriously wounded a popular Linden businessman in a daring robbery yesterday afternoon as he was making his way into the East Bank Demerara village.

Astil Benjamin of Kara Kara, Linden was shot three times during the attack which occurred around 5:45 pm and lasted a few minutes. Benjamin who was injured in the right thigh, right hip and left arm underwent emergency surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital last night to remove the bullet that was lodged in his thigh and up to press time was in a serious condition.

Reports are that the businessman, who operates Showbiz Internet CafÃ© in the mining town, was on his way to visit his girlfriend, who was staying at a relative's home when the men pounced on him at the head of Second Street.

A senior police officer told Stabroek News last night that Benjamin was driving his motorcar, PKK 5254 along the main access road in the village when three gunmen emerged at the head of Second Street and held him up. The Lindener was ordered out of the vehicle during which time the robbers, demanded cash and other valuables from him. He reportedly resisted the men and was shot thrice and then robbed of around $500,000 by the bandits who calmly walked away after the incident.

According to the police officer the injured man's girlfriend is originally from Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara and on a few occasions Benjamin had gone into the village to visit her. It is believed that the gunmen might have observed him before the attack.

Agricola had been in the throes of violence for the past five years and despite arrests and the shooting to death of some of the gunmen operating out of that village, police have not been able to get on top of the crime in the area. For this year there have been a number of armed robberies and killings in the community.

During one major assault eight people were mowed down by heavily-armed gunmen linked to a criminal gang that operates out of the said village and Buxton. Gangsters had also brutally chopped a Bagotstown man, Wayne Pryce to death. More than five suspected gang members are currently behind bars but this has not stopped the criminal enterprise in the village. (Stabroek News)

Two armed bandits yesterday afternoon stormed a Mandela Avenue internet cafÃ© robbing the cashier of $70,000 cash and other valuables.

Reports are that around 3:30 pm yesterday two armed bandits attacked Kushun Internet Cafe, robbing the female cashier of $70,000, property of the business place along with her hand bag, two cell phones and $2,000 cash. The men then fled. (Stabroek News)

A heavily pregnant woman fell into a trench as she fled from three gunmen who stormed her Number Two, Canje home and terrorized and robbed family members of $5M in cash and jewellery.

The pregnant woman, Vannie, who was still shaken when Stabroek News visited yesterday, had to be treated by a doctor after the incident.

The gunmen had also dealt the owner of the house, Omawattie Samaroo, 28, a severe beating; gun butting her to her head and to other parts of her body while another occupant, Kamla, barely escaped being shot after she "ducked" when the bandits fired in her direction.

In relating the incident Vannie said she was in the kitchen cooking roti around 8 pm when the bandits entered through the back door and passed without noticing her. She said she saw when they stuck up the other occupants and she started to "tremble" and decided to run through the back street and shout for help.

"While I was running me feet get weak and ah fall two times on the dam and one time in the trench," at the shallow end, she said. The woman said she asked a neighbour to allow her to make a telephone call but the woman said she did not have a phone.

Vannie said she then ran a little farther and a woman allowed her to make a call but "If ah de get the phone call right away, the police woulda catch the bandits because dem reach fast."

Samaroo said she and two other relatives, Ceon and Kamla, were watching television when Ceon said he heard a sound at the gate so she sent Murray to close the gate. Murray said as he was closing the gate he raised his head and came face-to-face with the gunmen. "One bandit pointed a gun to me head and choked me and tell me to lie on the floor. He tell me don't holler or he gon kill me. But when he slack off from me neck me start fuh holler and he hit me in meh face with the gun," Murray recounted.

The man said Ceon came to the front door, which was locked, and asked him what was the matter but he could not respond. Murray said the bandits then dragged him to the back of the house where they barged through the open kitchen door.

He said they then held Samaroo at gunpoint and demanded cash and jewellery, while they ordered Ceon and Kamla to lie on the floor. The gunmen then ripped off 12 pairs of gold bangles, weighing 22 pennyweight each, from Samaroo's hands.

They then demanded more cash and jewellery and broke open a wardrobe in the upper flat of the house, stealing a few diamond rings and other items. The bandits also found $45,000 but they were not satisfied and one of them pushed Samaroo's head onto the bed and "stifle me with the pillow...."

The gunmen then put a gun to Kamla's head and threatened "to shoot she if me don't give them more money. They fire two shots at her but she ducked, Samaroo said.

The woman said, "Me tell them me don't have more money but me have a cheque [that was in Vannie's possession] ah could give them." Samaroo said it was at this stage that she realized that Vannie had fled and she became worried.

"When ah call Vannie to bring the cheque she was nowhere around and maybe that caused the bandits to rush out faster because they suspect she would call the police."

Samaroo said "In the space of 15 minutes they done do all this damageâ€¦ but ah thank God they didn't kill anybody. The jewellery we could get back but we can't get back life." Samaroo received eight stitches to her head for the injury.

Vannie said the police arrived within 15 minutes of the call but the bandits had already fled "in the direction of the scheme." The police gave chase but their efforts proved futile. Police later recovered two spent shells and a pair of "shoe bottoms" - that appeared to be clean even though the street was muddy - in front of a bedroom.

Bullets had also pierced a tile on the wall and one of the stairs. They also discovered that the gunmen had disconnected the telephone wires. A police release yesterday said that the bandits took away jewellery to the value of $5M and $45,000 in cash. On Tuesday, a Canje jeweller, Kalamadeen Khan was attacked by bandits, robbed and severely beaten. (Shabna Ullah/Stabroek News)

Coast Guard ups river patrols to tackle piracy

Chief-of-Staff

Additional vessels, radio-sets to be bought

The Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Coast Guard is cognisant of the increasing piracy attacks on fishermen and has heightened its patrols at sea to arrest the problem which is severely affecting the livelihood of fishermen.

Chief-of-Staff of the GDF Commodore Gary Best said this approach will be facilitated by the purchasing of additional small vessels and radio-sets by the Ministry of Agriculture. “We are acquiring a set of marine radios and surface assets to deploy between Berbice and Corentyne Rivers to deal with the acts of piracy as a first start.”

Even as I speak we also have the Coast Guard conducting patrols in that area. So the issue of the GDF’s response is continuing patrol within the areas where there are acts of piracy being conducted and also to upgrade our communications assets and surface assets,” Commodore Best said during a press conference yesterday.

Meanwhile, as they await the equipment which is being purchased, the Coast Guard is currently conducting river patrols, which according to Commodore Best, are to stay close to fishermen. “You would realize that fuel is expensive but the plan is to spend as much time at sea with the fishermen and working along with the fisheries cooperative societies, having radios at their base stations and their vessels and our vessels, so the fishermen can communicate effectively with the Coast Guard.” “We are responding while at sea and not on land,” Commodore Best emphasised.

Earlier in the year, the GDF had presented a strategic plan to the Agriculture Ministry - which has responsibility for the Fisheries sector - for the Coast Guard to be better able to act as a deterrent, to provide a rapid response capability to any act of piracy and to ensure greater collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders. In October, Cabinet approved an initial $5M for the commencement of a special fund that will be used to aid fishermen who suffered at the hands of pirates.

President Bharrat Jagdeo responded to the fishermen’s pleas for assistance to fight piracy when he met several groups on September 12. The President subsequently agreed to the creation of the special fund. Government has also made provision for legislation to make piracy a non-bailable offence with penalties that are equal to murder. This is in its drafting stage. (GINA) (Guyana Cronicle)

A 45-year-old America Street money-changer was shot on Wednesday night and robbed by two bandits of an undisclosed amount of money and his licensed firearm, seconds after he arrived home. Orson Thompson of Lot 59 Light Street, Alberttown was shot in the abdomen and is currently a patient in the High Dependency Unit of the Georgetown Hospital where he is expected to undergo surgery to remove the bullet.

During the ordeal, which lasted no more than five minutes, a dog in a neighbouring yard was shot dead by one of the gunmen. From all appearances, the men had planned their attack on Thompson, who has been in the money-changing business for over 20 years. They knew exactly what to ask for when they confronted him.

In a bizarre twist, the men returned about 30 minutes after they had shot and robbed Thompson, this time using a different mode of transportation and were seen searching the area for something but left empty handed. There is speculation that the men had returned to look for spent shells.

This is the bus that the gunmen were hiding behind when they pounced on money- charger Orson Thompson.

Although a police station is located not far away, it took ranks nearly one and a half hours to arrive at the scene and they therefore missed the return visit by the bandits. At Thompson's home, things looked normal except for traces of blood where the dog had fallen after being shot.

Thompson's wife Patricia Amsterdam told Stabroek News that he was taken for an x-ray at a private hospital yesterday morning and the bullet was discovered to be lodged near his ribs. The woman said that she was uncertain as to how much money was in the bag her husband had but said it was a large sum.

Relatives were still in shock over the incident when this newspaper visited the home. One of Thompson's close relatives, who wanted to remain unnamed, recounted that just before 11 o'clock she was sitting on the back step talking to someone on the telephone when she heard four explosions. She said that at first she thought that it was persons in the area playing with squibs but later realized that could not be since it was a bit late.

Remembering that Thompson's daughter had just left to go out and fearing that something might have happened to her, the woman said, she ran through the house to a front window and saw Thompson lying in the middle of the road. His motor- cycle was still running and was parked in front of the gate. Stabroek News was told that the man had apparently parked his motor bike in front of the gate and had gone to open it when two men hiding behind a parked bus a few feet away pounced on him.

The relative told this newspaper that the men ordered "Rastaman give me the bag and the gun", adding that after Thompson handed over the bag with the money, they relieved him of his licensed firearm. She said that the men fled in a car but returned later on motorcycles looking for something on the road. She opined that it might have been the spent shells.

The police, she said, came about one and a half hours later and found two spent shells at the scene. The relatives said that from all appearances, Thompson put up a fight with the armed bandits since his watchband burst. She recounted that when they went out to Thompson he was conscious but crying out for pain in his side adding that there wasn't much blood.

Relatives told Stabroek News that the area where the incident occurred was not dark but stressed that the parked bus was a hiding place for the gunmen. This newspaper was told that about six years ago, Thompson was beaten by bandits who later escaped with a moneybag containing $2M. Police are continuing their investigations into the incident. (Zoisa Fraser / Ken Moore photo / Stabroek News)

The Guyanese man held in the US in August with 35 kilogrammes of cocaine has changed his plea to the charge of importing narcotics into the US to guilty and will be sentenced next year. Gavin Waaldijk, a 23-year-old Lindener, pleaded guilty to the charge in a New York court on Wednesday last and will be sentenced by US District Judge Bagley Anon on March 7, 2008 at 10.30 am.

Waaldijk had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge of knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully importing cocaine into the United States. On Wednesday he was advised of his rights before he entered his guilty plea. His lawyer David Epstein and Prosecutor Steve D' Alessandro had started plea bargain discussions on November 28.

Waaldijk had boarded Travelspan airline Flight Number 053 on Emancipation Day and was intercepted at the JFK Airport by officers using a narcotics detecting dog. The dog alerted the authorities to a suitcase bearing the tag 813711 in the name of the Guyanese. Upon opening the suitcase, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) authorities found 31 brick-shaped objects wrapped in plastic which when weighed amounted to 35.078 kilogrammes.

When held by the US authorities, Waaldijk had one piece of carry-on luggage and another suitcase with the tag 813712. According to the complaint sworn to by Special Agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Cadwallader, a search was conducted on his person and two Travelspan claim tickets matching the suitcases were found along with a key which opened the lock on the bag that had the drugs. (Stabroek News)

Around five gunmen, clad in military fatigues and carrying rifles, shotguns and handguns Sunday night terrorized residents of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

They killed two men and seriously wounded two others during a ten-minute robbery spree in a rum shop on Agriculture Road in front of the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI).

Dead are Rajesh Singh, 35, of Martyr's Ville and Fazal Hakim, 25, of Mon Repos. Both men, according to police reports, sustained gunshot wounds to their heads and were pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The slaughter of the men has left their respective villages in deep shock with relatives calling on authorizes to step up their fight against criminals. "They have to do their work properlyâ€¦ it's time they take more serious action to protect citizens, Soobhadra Singh, grandmother of Rajesh Singh commented.

Jagnandan Singh, 28, and Yogesh Singh were wounded when the bandits opened fire on their car while it was passing. Residents said the gunmen apparently mistook the men for the police and opened fire. Both men are patients at the Georgetown Hospital.

Police here have struggled to contain rising crime over the years. For this year so far, there have been 109 murders, many of which are still unsolved.

Police said in a statement said that Hakim, Rajesh Singh and another man were consuming alcohol in a shop owned by Narendra Mukhram. Mukhram went to close the gate to the premises and was confronted by three men armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun.

He was held at gunpoint and taken across to his home next door. Meanwhile two other men, who were also armed with firearms, entered the shop and one of them ordered the three patrons to lie on the ground.

They hesitated and the other armed man opened fire killing Fazal Hakim and Rajesh Singh, the police statement said. It added that the men also opened fire on contractor Yogesh Singh, 28, of Happy Acres, ECD, and his father Jagnandan Singh, 55, of Agriculture Road who were passing on the roadway in Yogesh's car.

They managed to escape, but Yogesh was hit on the chin and Jagnandan on the left side of his face and left hand by shotgun pellets.

At the house the armed men held Mukhram's wife, son and daughter at gunpoint and demanded cash and jewellery. Jewellery valued at $500,000 and $300,000 were handed over to the men who assaulted the two children during the process.

The police said that they responded very quickly upon being informed of the incident, but the bandits managed to escape. Eleven 7.62 x 39 spent shells, one live 7.62 x 39 round and a 12-gauge cartridge have been recovered at the scene by the police as the investigations continue.

Meanwhile, recounting the episode Mukhram told reporters yesterday that he had just closed his business and was sitting in the rum shop with three of his customers - Rajesh Singh, Fazal Hakim and Wazir Hakim, uncle of Fazal when the gunmen entered.

Mukhram said the gunmen stormed the gate to the business place and commanded him to open it. He said he made an attempt to run but one of the bandits brandished his weapon and he stood still. Mukhram said the gunmen then enquired who the owner of the bar was and he told them he wasn't aware.

Rajesh Singh and the Hakims were ordered to lie face down on the concrete floor while two gunmen, trained their weapons at them. Mukhram said while the men lay on the ground, he was escorted up to his house where the gunmen demanded cash and jewellery. He said his wife was in her room and when she heard the noise in the house she grabbed their two children and hid. The bandits continued however to press their demands and Mukhram said she agreed to give them whatever they wanted.

The businessman, who is also a goldsmith, said he handed over some cash but the bandits asked for more and at this point his wife emerged from her hiding place. At this point one of the bandits kicked one of the children in her chest and she collapsed to the ground.

"I tek out some money and give them then they ask for jewellery and mi wife give them," Mukhram said. The bandits then collected their loot and escaped. While escaping the gunmen fired several shots indiscriminately some hitting vehicles parked at a vulcanizing a shop nearby.

Reports are that it was during this period, when Jagnandan and Yogesh Singh were speeding past in their car, that they came under fire.

After everything had died down, Mukhram said, he returned to the rum shop only to find Fazal Hakim and Rajesh Singh lying in a pool of blood. Wazir Hakim was alongside them, his clothes drenched in blood, but miraculously he was not hurt.

Wazir also called 'Raymond' told Stabroek News he was about to leave the rum shop when he was accosted by a woman, who was clad in military fatigues and carried a rifle slung across her side. "Go inside back and go pon de ground," Wazir recalled the woman telling him. He said he first thought it was all a big joke, but the woman repeated the order this time with expletives and at the same pointed her weapon at him.

"I right away drop on the ground; my face on the floor and I ain't look up until they left," Wazir said. He said he heard the gunmen demanding money from Mukhram, but he paid no attention to this; fearing for his life he remained silent. He said while he was on the floor, he heard when the gunmen ordered his nephew and Rajesh Singh to lie on the floor. The men were lined up alongside each other.

He said he then heard gunshots ring out next to him. "When me raise up, me see dem boys in blood - all looking dead," Wazir said. He believed that keeping his head down throughout the ordeal was what saved his life.

Fazal Hakim's sister, Bibi Hakim said her brother left home around 4 pm on Sunday. Bibi described her brother as a friendly man who was very kind and special to his family. Mourners gathered at the Hakims home yesterday pouring out their grief even as neighbours constructed a tent for the wake.

Across at Singh's home in Martyrs' Ville, his relatives were upset. They said that crime continues to spiral out of control and the authorities seem incapable of doing anything. The man's grandmother Soobhadra said that her grandson left home around 12 pm on Sunday. She said she received news of the shooting some time around 9.30 pm.

"He [was] an easy-going man, very quiet, I don't know why they wanted to kill him," the elderly woman remarked. She said the death of Rajesh was unbearable. "This thing is too alarming, crime, crime everyday and no one doing anything about it." (Stabroek News)

National footballer Neil Hernandez, who was preparing for the popular Kashif and Shangai tournament, was found dead after a blaze ravaged his Bartica home around midday yesterday. His partially burnt body was removed from the ruins of the two-storey building by police in Bartica who are yet to determine exactly how the footballer died.

Police in Bartica questioned a few persons close to the footballer including his reputed wife, but Stabroek News was told that the information gathered so far was varied, particularly in relation to what happened in the hours prior to the fire at the house.

A post-mortem examination is expected to be performed tomorrow when the body is brought to the city. Hernandez's relatives said the examination is critical since they have no idea how he died. Reports have been circulating that Hernandez set fire to his home, then took his own life following a bitter domestic row.

Hernandez who played with the Fruta Conquerors was highly respected in the sport and once led the national side. In Bartica where he grew up and continued to live despite playing for a city team, he was the footballer every young player wanted to be.

"Neil is the regular guy out there who had problems with his girlfriend but he was not suicidal. This behaviour is not Neil's so we are shocked and concerned at the same time because something does not add up," his sister Claudine Hernandez told Stabroek News last evening in a telephone interview.

According to her, the whole incident is strange and puzzling. She said the family received a disturbing phone call just before midday yesterday from her someone close to Hernandez who said that he was about to commit suicide. At the time, the family was travelling to Bartica from the city. She said the phone call ended abruptly so all the family could do was telephone someone in the area to go check on him.

Minutes later, there was another phone call. This time the person on the other end relayed that Hernandez had set the house on fire and shot himself in the head. Shortly after this phone call, another brother in the area went over to the home that Hernandez shared with his reputed wife and found the building in flames.

The police were immediately alerted according to her but since the fire was raging no one made any attempt to douse the blaze.

She said that while the fire raged, the brother recalled hearing a crashing sound and someone at the scene exclaimed that Hernandez had fallen through the flooring from the top floor. When the fire finally burnt out, the sister said, a quick inspection revealed that house had been empty, since there was no evidence of any burnt furniture or ashes from furniture. She said all that was found in the ruins was an empty gas cylinder.

Hernandez's body was only partially burnt, she said, and they saw that he had what looked like a wound on his left side. She said the family noticed that he also had broken ribs. A cutlass was found nearby in the ruins.

The man's sister said the family did not know forensics and only the post-mortem examination would determine what happened. However, she said too many things seemed out of place, including the peculiar behaviour of someone who was once close to Hernandez. According to the sister, there seemed to be some history of domestic problems between her brother and his reputed wife. But despite this, she said, they lived good together and appeared to be a happy couple.

All his life, football had been the one thing he truly loved, the sister said, and he pursued it passionately. She said Hernandez loved the game and spent much time away from home playing for teams or for Guyana. She described him as someone never short on jokes and the one person in the family who knew how to make people laugh at the saddest of times.

Carlos Prowell, President of the Bartica Football Association remembered Hernandez, who he referred to as a good friend, as an amazing athlete. He said Hernandez took to the sport like fish to water and played at an exceptionally high level when he was focused. He said the country and Bartica have lost a good son.

Prowell said he could not make sense of what happened. He added that Hernandez still had high hopes for the game particularly as it related to the younger children in Bartica who all looked up to him. "How do you reconcile with such a loss?" Troy Mendonca, President of the Georgetown Football Association asked last evening when contacted. He said Hernandez was a tremendous force in the sport and that he leaves a void.

He said many persons looked up to the young footballer as a role model, adding that Hernandez had been playing for some time now and had made the local game rich with his skills. (Iana Seales/Stabroek News)

Two Corentyne businessmen, one of whom had been accused in the past of having connections with the drug trade, have been linked to the bulldozer which was found abandoned on an illegal airstrip discovered last week, 80 miles upriver from Orealla.

Police in Georgetown are also still holding three foreigners: two Colombians and a Venezuelan who were nabbed at a city hotel on Thursday afternoon in connection with the illegal airfield.

Stabroek News was told by a high-ranking military official yesterday that investigators have since been able to trace the bulldozer to a businessman who claims that he had sold the heavy-duty machine to another man. Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon told the media on Friday that the bulldozer might have been transported to the location on a barge.

Luncheon said it was one of the angles investigators were looking at, adding that there is a huge trail from the river leading to a camp. He said the trail is very wide which suggested that it can accommodate the large equipment. A representative of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority had visited the area last week to inspect the burnt-out aircraft.

The Guyana Defence Force believes that the illegal airfield which its troops destroyed on Monday was being operated by foreigners with local collusion to facilitate trafficking of narcotics. In a statement on Monday the GDF said the airstrip had a burnt-out aircraft with a Venezuelan flag on it, a still smouldering all-terrain vehicle and a bulldozer which was in the middle of the airstrip. The military said it is believed that the airstrip was constructed to facilitate transshipment of narcotics.

The airstrip was sighted last week Sunday during a routine flight by a GDF pilot who was flying lower than normal. The pilot, the military said, noticed the aircraft parked halfway up the airstrip and several persons clad in dark clothes emerging from the jungle. According to the GDF, the aircraft, a Let 410 turboprop that is manufactured by the Czech Republic, carried a Venezuelan flag and it appeared that it was severely damaged after attempting to take off.

The army said it is felt that the Czech-made aircraft was deliberately burnt sometime between last Sunday and Monday morning after those in the area had seen the aircraft over-flying the airstrip and had anticipated an interdiction operation. The GDF statement said there seemed to be extensive construction work at the airstrip since it is some 3600 feet in length, which is longer than the Ogle aerodrome, and 375 feet in width, wider than Timehri runway.

However, only some 1,800 feet of it was usable and the construction seemed geared to upgrading the remainder of the airstrip. After seizing the airstrip GDF troops conducted several probing patrols and discovered a 25-ft trail that led for two miles to the Corentyne River, suggesting that the bulldozer and other equipment may have been transported via the river.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the discovery of the airstrip Corentyne residents are calling on the United States to do more to assist Guyana in fighting the narcotics trade. A resident who asked not to be named told this newspaper that "drug operations" are rampant in the area and that activities at the illegal airstrip have been going on for at least a year now. Residents also alleged that prominent businesspersons from the Crabwood Creek area are involved.

Residents who spoke to this newspaper said that police in the area are not doing enough and accused some of the lawmen of being in collusion with the drug dealers. "The intelligence gathering needs to be boosted. If the joint services work honestly they could stamp out a lot of illegal operations," one resident said.

Further, Stabroek News was told that persons would see the movements of aircraft when they go to drop off and pick up items but residents are sometimes afraid to speak out. "A lot of high-powered boats are also seen going into the area," one resident said, adding that the border area is vulnerable to narcotics activities.

The resident said that government should invest in a radar to track all illegal aircraft and boats. Stabroek News was told that the area where the airstrip was discovered is well protected by persons who carry high-powered weapons and who from time to time threaten and warn persons to keep off if they happen to go into the area to hunt or fish. (Stabroek News)

Drug Master Plan for review in first quarter of 2008

Minister Rohee

Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee said that the National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) will be thoroughly reviewed in the first quarter of 2008 to evaluate the aspects that have been implemented and the areas that need immediate attention.

“We are looking at the first quarter of next year because this plan is very important in our drug fight…We will also look at areas that require funding because that is also important,” Minister Rohee said.

Government has made progress in achieving several aspects of the Plan, including identifying funding sources locally, signing and ratifying international agreements/conventions, strengthening health and family life education, and computerising the Immigration and Criminal Investigation Departments.

The administration launched the $650M Plan to foster institutional, participatory and democratic approaches towards the achievement of a crime-free and healthy society, founded on the principles of social justice, rule of law and respect for authority.

The plan, launched in 2005, involves legislative requirements dealing with the Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Food and Drugs Acts. A modernised forensic laboratory and several rehabilitation centres will also be established. Meanwhile, Minister Rohee said he is satisfied with the work that is being done by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Narcotics and Illicit Weapons and the Fuel Smuggling Task Force.

Members of the task forces are sharing information and intelligence-gathering in the fight against drug trafficking and fuel and other contraband smuggling. Recently, the Government of Guyana and the local law enforcement agencies were praised by United States Ambassador to Guyana David Robinson for the efforts being made to tackle drug trafficking. (Guyana Cronicle)

The United States on Wednesday issued a provisional arrest warrant for West Coast Demerara businessman, Barry Datram and will soon take steps to extradite him to New York to face charges of conspiracy to export over five kilos of cocaine into that country.

Yesterday afternoon, Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton remanded the 29-year-old Ruimzeight Gardens, WCD resident to prison until Monday. Datram, also known as Kevin Mogatani or `Fatman' is one of many people here the US has on their radar for alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking.

Datram, a US citizen was ensnared following the abduction of his wife, Sheleza and their daughter on Saturday morning by two Venezuelans, one of whom was shot dead by the police. From the outset the police said that the abduction was drug-related and they have had Datram in custody since.

Police Commissioner Henry Greene told this newspaper that the US warrant arrived in the country on Thursday afternoon, the same day High Court Judge Jainarayan Singh Jr set Dataram on bail in the sum of $100,000. However Greene said that after they received the warrant from the US, Dataram was immediately re-arrested. There was confusion in front of the Brickdam Police Station on Thursday evening after police re-arrested Datram.

Yesterday, Datram's attorneys Vic Puran, Glenn Hanoman and Mishka Puran filed another motion before Justice Singh calling on the police to explain why they did not follow the court order releasing Datram on bail. The lawyers had earlier filed a habeas corpus writ in the High Court for Datram's release but the police asked for an extension to hold him and this was granted by Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards. Datram's lawyers subsequently appealed the order before Justice Singh who set him free.

Stabroek News was told that relatives of the businessman had already deposited the bail and Datram was set free but even before he left the precincts of the Brickdam Police Station on Thursday he was re-arrested. The new motion filed by his attorney was heard yesterday afternoon by Justice Singh and was adjourned until Monday.

Meanwhile, minutes after the High Court proceedings were over yesterday Datram was back in the lower courts before Magistrate Octive-Hamilton.

When the matter was called, Datram rose to his feet, telling the court that "my presence here is unlawful". Director of Public Prosecutions (ag), Shalimar-Ali Hack told the court that yesterday morning a provisional arrest warrant was granted for Datram and he was brought to court as soon as practicable in accordance with the Fugitive Offenders Act for the purpose of an extradition and remanded to prison until the extradition documents from the US arrive.

The DPP pointed out that according to Section 15 of the Fugitive Offenders Act, the court can remand Datram to prison for not more than a month pending the extradition documents.

Puran told the court that he was appearing for Datram who he referred to as Mr. Detained Person. Puran asked whether the Magistrate could usurp jurisdiction over Datram when he is presently before the High Court. He argued that prior to them meeting in the Magistrate's Court the DPP was in the High Court and she made no mention there about these proceedings.

Puran said that the issue of Datram's detention was a live one upon which the High Court has to pronounce on. He said Datram was brought to the court under detention and that detention itself is an issue which is before the High Court. "And this court being an inferior court cannot determine the issue of detentionâ€¦" Puran argued.

The DPP countered, saying that the High Court action is in relation to the detention of Datram arising out of his arrest by police prior to yesterday. "This morning this court granted a provisional arrest warrant for Mr. Datram it was on that warrant the police now have custody of Datram and have brought him before the court," Ali-Hack said.

Puran rose at this point saying that the DPP misunderstood him. He said in his opening statement he was merely asking whether the court would permit him to address those issues he raised. Magistrate Octive-Hamilton then asked him how long his presentation would be and he could not give a definite time. The magistrate then declared that she would not shut out the defence counsel but would defer his arguments for Monday. She then remanded Datram to prison.

Datram's pregnant wife, Sheleza, told Stabroek News on Thursday night that her husband went out on Friday night and when he returned home around 2 am on Saturday he called out for her to open the door for him. She said her husband stepped into the kitchen and she was about to close the door when the two men pushed their way in.

She said the men could not speak English and they used signs to indicate that they wanted money and jewellery. She said the men took her and her husband upstairs where they handed over the money and jewellery before taking them back downstairs and tying them up and ordering them to lie on the ground. The abductors then seized the couple's three-year-old daughter, wrapped her in a sheet and took both the child and Sheleza away.

In the gun battle between the police and the kidnappers hours after the woman and her daughter were taken hostage, Venezuelan Raul Munzo Antonio Centeno was shot and killed while another national of the South American country, Manriquez was captured. Police have since held a third foreigner.

On Monday a US Embassy official visited Datram at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary and according to Puran offered him advice. A relative of Datram told this newspaper yesterday at the High Court that the 29-year-old had lived in the US for a while, during which time he obtained naturalised citizenship. However, Datram returned to Guyana several years ago and has not gone back to the US since. He is said to be operating a large farm in the Cuyuni district.

Acting Commissioner of Police Greene had confirmed on Wednesday that the force received a request from the US embassy to interview Datram, whom the mission said was a citizen of the US. However, Greene said, Datram has denied being a citizen of that country. (Nigel Williams/Stabroek News)

Justice Jainarayan Singh Jr yesterday granted bail in the sum of $100,000 each to Barry Datram and Michael Baharally, the two men held after a drug-linked kidnapping of a woman and her daughter last Saturday, but up to press time, they were still in custody at the Brickdam Police Station.

This newspaper understands that they were released and rearrested moments after Justice Singh handed down the bail ruling.

The men's attorney Vic Puran made the successful High Court bid one day after Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards had granted an extension order allowing the police to continue to hold Datram, whose daughter and wife were kidnapped by two Venezuelan men, one of whom was later shot dead. Puran moved against Justice Cummings-Edwards's order, which would have expired today, arguing that it infringed his clients' rights.

Puran said last night that even as the order was being made, the two men were spirited away from the High Court although he had asked the inspector in charge at the court for the men to be handed over to the High Court Marshal, since he had suspected that that was the action the police would have taken. He said the men were taken to the Brickdam Police Station and he made several visits to the station and duly served the judge's order on officers there.

He said an officer by the name of Mr Primo, who was very courteous to him, made several calls to different functionaries. One of the calls was to a Mr Jessimy, a police officer stationed on the West Coast, who, according to Primo, when asked how he could have placed the two men in the Brickdam lock-ups without informing anyone in authority, told him that the DPP's Chambers had instructed them to release the men and re-arrest them.

An angry Puran said the men were rearrested in connection with the same offences - abduction and trafficking in narcotics - and this does not happen in a "democratic society". The lawyer said the police were duly represented in the High Court by Attorney-General Doodnauth Singh, and they had no right to keep the men in custody.

He said what the police could have done if they had additional information on the men, was to prepare a separate affidavit to be seen by the judge only who would have made his decision after taking the additional information into consideration.

Meanwhile Dataram's pregnant wife, Sheleza, recounted her "horrifying" experience when the two foreign men, who were masked and armed, grabbed her last Saturday. According to the woman, her husband went out for a few drinks on Friday night and when he returned to their Ruimzeight Gardens, West Coast Demerara home around 2 am on Saturday he called out for her to open the door for him.

She said her husband stepped into the kitchen and she was about to close the door, when the two men pushed their way in. She said the men could not speak English and they used signs to indicate that they wanted money and jewellery.

She said the men took her and her husband upstairs where they handed over the money and jewellery before taking them back downstairs and tying them up and ordering them to lie on the ground. She said all this time the men were talking on their cellular phones constantly. She said the men spent about one and a half hours in their home, demanding more money and jewellery and talking on their cellular phones.

After this, Sheleza said, they went back upstairs and took her sleeping three-year-old daughter out of her bed, wrapped her in a sheet and brought her downstairs. She said they signalled their intention to leave with the child and she started to beg and cry for them to take her with them.

Eventually the men relented, untied her and took her out into the yard where her "212" dark blue car was parked. She said they instructed her to take the wheel, while one of them put on a cap belonging to her husband and sat in the front passenger seat. She said she was told not to stop if she saw any police officers along the way.

Sheleza said she drove all the way to Parika, and was instructed to stop at a dam. They all got out in the rain, and one of the men went back onto the roadway and stopped a taxi, which they entered and were all taken to Bushy Park. At Bushy Park, she said, they entered a boat, which had a captain and a lad acting as the "bowman". The woman said she held her daughter and they sailed in virtual silence to the Pomeroon River area, where they stopped at Baharally's gas station.

There, she said, one of the men initially pretended that she was his girlfriend and they were taken into the businessman's house. She said one of the men remained there with her, while the other one went out with the boat captain. She said when the man returned with another man, the one who was left to guard her informed them that he suspected the police had been alerted.

The third man, who apparently was not a foreigner, was then left there with her guard, while the kidnapper, who is now in custody, and the boat captain left again. However, she said, the police soon arrived with that kidnapper and there was a shoot-out with the two men. The foreign-speaking kidnapper was killed while the other man escaped.

Last evening the woman lamented the length of time her husband, whom she said did nothing wrong, was being kept in custody. While the police have said that the entire affair could be drug related the woman said her husband was not involved in anything illegal. She and Baharally's wife, who was also in front of the station, said their husbands were innocent and should be released. Sheleza said she felt if she were not pregnant she would also be in police custody. She said she was afraid that persons might attempt to kidnap them again.

Datram and Baharally were detained since Saturday. While they were in custody at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary an official of the US Embassy in Georgetown interviewed Datram. Puran told Stabroek News yesterday that the US official offered advice to his client, who is an American citizen. Stabroek News was told that the US has been keeping an eye on the case given that it has drug links.

A relative of Datram told this newspaper yesterday at the High Court that the 29-year-old had lived in the US for a while, during which time he obtained naturalised citizenship. However, Datram returned to Guyana several years ago and has not returned. He is said to be operating a large farm in the Cuyuni district.

Acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene had confirmed on Wednesday that the force received a request from the US embassy to interview Datram, whom the mission said was a citizen of the US. However, Greene said, Datram has denied being a citizen of that country. In the gun battle between the police and the kidnappers hours after the woman and her daughter were taken hostage, Venezuelan Raul Antonio Munoz Centeno was shot and killed while another national of the South American country, Jesus Oliva Ortega Manriquez was captured. Police are said to be looking for a third suspect also believed to be a Venezuelan.

It was reported that Datram and Sheleza handed over US$16,000; $800,000 and jewellery to the value of $40,000. Meanwhile, up to yesterday no one had come forward to identify the body of the dead Venezuelan, although efforts were made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown to make contact with Caracas so that the dead could be claimed.

Police said that documents found on him bore the name that was released. Stabroek News was told that the man had been seen in Guyana before and he apparently knew Barry Datram. (Stabroek News)

An East Coast man appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with committing several armed robberies on fishermen in the Corentyne River.

According to a police press release, Aleen Mohamed called 'Knights' of Mon Repos, ECD and Number 74 Village, Corentyne, was charged with six counts of robbery under arms when he appeared before a magistrate at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court. Mohamed was remanded to prison and will make another court appearance on January 3, next year, the release said.

Mohamed was arrested two Fridays ago by police in the Corentyne area and was transported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Eve Leary where he was placed on an ID parade. There has been an upsurge in piracy in the Corentyne area recently with the largest attack coming earlier this month when fifteen boats from the Number 66 Fish Complex were attacked and the crew members were beaten and robbed of a quantity of fish glue, fish, engine coils and leads.

On Sunday, pirates attacked the captain and five crew members of a fishing vessel in Suriname's waters around 6 pm carting off over $1M. (Stabroek News)

A 22-year-old Old England, Upper Demerara man died yesterday during a shoot-out with police, who were following up on investigations into a series of carjackings. Police yesterday identified the dead man as Ronald Parris called "Junior". During the operation a man was arrested, an unlicensed gun found and a car suspected to be stolen was seized.

In a press release last night, police said that around midday ranks went to a house at Old England in search of stolen vehicles and suspects. "As the police approached the house, five men ran out and ran towards the river", the release said, adding that the police gave chase and one of the men pulled out a firearm and discharged a round.

One of the police ranks discharged a round in return at the man, who dropped the firearm and jumped into the river. The unlicensed .38 revolver with a spent shell in the chamber was recovered. The release added that sometime later, about 200 yards downstream, ranks found the body of a man, who was later identified as Parris, with a gunshot wound.

Police said that while they were retrieving the body from the river, Parris's relatives who had gathered, began to throw missiles at the police, injuring Constable DeJonge over the right eye. Ranks were forced to discharge two rounds into the air in order to disperse the crowd, the release added. Later, a search conducted at the house where the five men ran out from led to the discovery of an unlicensed 12-gauge shotgun.

Further, the release said, another man was arrested and an AT 192 Carina motor car, that is suspected to be stolen, was seized. (Stabroek News)

A 34-year-old unemployed man who was reportedly caught stealing in a yard at around 4 am yesterday at Princetown, Corriverton was chopped to death by an occupant of the home. The man, Omarnauth 'Mouth Shammy' Ramessar, who was said to have had "brushes with the law" and was described as a 'junkie' died around 7:30 am at the Skeldon Hospital.

According to police sources, Ramessar suffered "eight gaping wounds to his back and other parts of his body." Stabroek News (SN) understands that Ramessar, also of Princetown, entered the yard where the suspect was staying with his family by breaking the picket fence. At the same time the suspect was going outside when he caught Ramessar removing a wall picture.

The suspect picked up his cutlass and when he confronted Ramessar about what he was doing in the yard, he replied "ah just come fuh drink lil water." The suspect's wife told this newspaper that she had gotten up to cook for him to go to work and after he left to go outside she heard the commotion. She said she heard her husband ask the man "so early in the morning you come here fuh drink water."

She said after he was chopped Ramessar again scaled the fence "and he fall and left right there [in front of the house]. She said they telephoned the owner of the house who lives at Line Path, Skeldon and told him what happened. He arrived shortly after in the company of a police officer from the Springlands Station and took the man to the hospital.

The owner's son who lives in another section of the house, told SN that he and the suspect accompanied them to the hospital and the police told them it was ok for them to go home. Shortly after, he said the police returned to the home and told them that the man had sustained more than one chop and they would have to go to the station. He said they were giving statements when the police arrived and told them that the man had died. The son said the police released him and kept the suspect in custody. (Stabroek News)

Amidst an outpouring of grief Pastor Ian David who was shot execution style in his Hadfield Street church one week ago was laid to rest yesterday but not before a scathing attack by Bishop Juan Edghill on the police investigation.

There have been suggestions that Pastor David was executed over a private matter and that robbery was not the motive. The police are said to be looking at all angles. Following two elaborate sermons the 41-year-old pastor was buried at Le Repentir Cemetery late yesterday.

On Sunday, December 1, around 11.15 pm, David of Kitty, the pastor of Prophecy One Deliverance Ministry in Hadfield Street, Lodge, was shot execution style after a gunman stormed into the church. David was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he died while receiving treatment.

The pastor was shot to the back of his head and the upper back while lying face down as ordered by the gunman. The shooting took place in the presence of his fiancÃ©e, his daughter and three other church members. Police have since removed two .32 bullets from the scene.

Before the pastor was laid to rest his body was taken to the Outreach Ministries International Winners Cathedral for a service and then to his Hadfield Street church for another service. Both services were well attended by leaders from almost all Christian denominations who throughout both sermons shared similar sentiments about the slaying of the pastor.

The officiating pastor at both sermons, Bishop Edghill strongly condemned the Guyana Police Force for the position they have taken in the case. "We the church strongly criticize the position that the Commissioner of Police and his Police Force has takenâ€¦because of a perceived lifestyle of someone you are going to come up with a motive (for) one's death, it is unfair," the Bishop said.

The Bishop also spoke out about the way the investigations are being carried out. The Bishop said from all indications it is clear that police are not interested in solving this murder. "This is utter nonsense, how can you ask the persons who witnessed such a hideous crime to go into a room with seven males and ask them to go touch the person who killed the man of God (the pastor)," Bishop Edghill asked.

The Bishop added that this information was fed to him by those members of the church who were present on the night of the shooting and who were called in by police for the ID parade. According to Bishop Edghill, the ID parade was held on Sunday afternoon last at the Brickdam Police Station.

He added that it is no one's place to jump to conclusions until the investigators have concluded their probe. The Bishop said the police are not trying to solve a crime, but in other words they are putting innocent people's lives at risk. Bishop Edghill declared that if the police and any other section of society wanted to question the pastor's lifestyle that too would be highly condemned by the church and would be deemed grossly insensitive.

Noting that this incident had completely shaken the entire Christian movement locally, Bishop Edghill reiterated that the church will not rest until justice is served. To this end the Bishop called on all pastors present at the service to lend their support to the membership of Pastor David's congregation. He added that no longer will the church stand by and see advantage being taken. Meanwhile other church leaders present at both services were heard sharing similar sentiments about the incident.

The 41-year-old pastor was scheduled to marry his fiancÃ© Kendra Dalrymple sometime next year. The pastor was shot in the presence of his fiancÃ©, his foster daughter Shondell Williams, her husband Alwin Williams and two other members of the church as they were in a discussion after a church service on December 1 last.

Meanwhile a police source has since confirmed that an ID parade was conducted but the eight male suspects have since been released. As to charges being laid the source said so far they have not yet found anything conclusive that would tie anyone directly to the crime. According to one source, they are seeking a female whom they believe may help in the investigations. (Stabroek News)

A representative of the United States embassy on Tuesday interviewed Barry Datram, the Ruimzeight, West Coast Demerara businessman after what police say is the drug-related kidnapping of his wife and daughter by two Venezuelans, one of whom was shot dead by police last Saturday.

Acting Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene told Stabroek News yesterday that the force did receive a request from the US embassy to interview Datram whom the mission said was a citizen of the US. However, Greene said Datram has denied being a citizen of that country.

Greene could not confirm whether the interview was done only saying that it more than likely would have taken place. Stabroek News was told that Datram who operates a farm in the Cuyuni area is a naturalized citizen of the US. He however has not visited the country for several years now.

Police had arrested him on Sunday following the abduction of his family and since then he has not been released. Yesterday the businessman's lawyer, Vic Puran moved to the High Court with a writ of habeas corpus calling on the Commissioner of Police to produce Datram but the police asked for another day to conclude their investigations and this was granted. The matter will come up for hearing again today.

In an affidavit in support of the habeas corpus motion, Sheleza Datram, wife of Barry Datram said that around 2:15 on Saturday morning, her husband came home and as she was opening the door to let him in, gunmen pushed the door and followed him. She made no mention of what preceded the kidnapping, but said that she and her daughter were taken and her husband was left bound. The woman mentioned too that they were taken to Grant Stelling, Hope Lower Pomeroon River.

Sheleza said that they were then taken to a gas station, adding that the owner of the gas station saw them and noticed that they were uncomfortable. The woman said that her husband was able to unshackle himself and escaped with the assistance of members of the Guyana Police Force. She said she was sent home, but her husband was taken into police custody at Eve Leary along with the owner of the gas station.

The woman said that she has since retained Puran as her attorney and he advised her that on Monday he visited Barry at Eve Leary and was denied access to him. She said that her husband was seated in a position from which he heard when Puran requested to see him and was denied. Sheleza said that she was advised by her attorney that the continued detention by the police of her husband without bringing him before a magistrate is unlawful and in breach of his fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution.

In a gun battle between the police and the kidnappers hours after the woman and her daughter were taken hostage, Raul Antonio Munoz Centeno was shot and killed while another national of the South American country, Jesus Oliva Ortega Manriquez was captured. Police are looking for a third suspect also believed to be a Venezuelan.

Stabroek News was told that efforts are still being made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown to make contact with Caracas so that the dead man could be positively identified.

Police said that documents found on him bore the name that was released. Stabroek News was told that the man had been seen in Guyana before and he apparently knew Barry Datram.

Police said in their statement that at about 12 pm on Saturday Barry Datram reported to them that around 2 am the said day as he was about to enter his home two masked men armed with a rifle and a handgun held him at gunpoint and forced him into the building.

The two armed men tied him up and allegedly demanded cash and jewellery and his wife handed over US$16,000, $800,000 and jewellery to the value of $40,000. The men then took Sheleza and their three-year-old daughter and escaped in his motor car after telling him that they will call him later for more money. (Stabroek News)

Armed bandits last evening robbed an Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara businessman and shot him in his buttocks in a brazen attack at his home.

Basdeo Shaadar of Lot 2 Anna Catherina, WCD was being treated at the Georgetown Hospital, sources at the institution told Stabroek News last night. According to reports Shaadar was under his house around 6:30 last evening when four men entered his yard.

The robbers all brandishing handguns accosted him and his household, threatening to kill them if they did not hand over cash. Stabroek News was told that the businessman resisted the robbers and was shot. He then handed over an undisclosed sum of cash to the bandits who escaped. (Stabroek News)

The army yesterday morning seized an illegal airstrip located some 80 miles upriver from Orealla in the Corentyne with a burnt-out aircraft on it along with a still smoldering all terrain vehicle and a bulldozer - clear signs of a drug operation.

In a press statement last evening the Guyana Defence Force said it is believed that the airstrip was constructed to facilitate transshipment of narcotics and the conduct of illegal activities.

This is the second such operation within a year by the men in uniform and it comes at a time when the government continues to be criticized for not doing enough to fight drug trafficking here.

The operation was launched yesterday morning following the sighting of the airstrip on Sunday during a routine flight to New River by a GDF pilot who on flying over the airstrip noticed the aircraft parked halfway up the airstrip and several persons clad in dark clothes emerging from the jungle, the GDF release said.

According to the GDF, the aircraft, a Let 410 turboprop that is manufactured by the Czech Republic, carried a Venezuelan flag and it appeared that it was severely damaged after attempting to take off and had skidded off to the right of the airstrip.

The army said it is felt that the Czech-made aircraft was deliberately burnt sometime between Sunday and yesterday morning after the persons had seen the aircraft over-flying the airstrip on Sunday and anticipated an interdiction operation.

The still smoldering all terrain vehicle and the removal of the bulldozer's starter support this theory, the GDF statement said adding that there seemed to be extensive construction works being undertaken at the airstrip since it is some 3600 feet in length, which is longer than the Ogle aerodrome, and 375 feet in width, wider than Timehri runway.

However, only some 1800 feet of it was usable and the construction seemed geared to upgrading the remainder of the airstrip. According to the GDF, after seizing the airstrip the troops conducted several probing patrols and discovered a 25-ft trail that led for some two miles to the Corentyne River, which suggests that the bulldozer and other equipment may have been transported via the river.

"The discovery of the airstrip, which is some 10 minutes flying due southeast from Kwakwani, comes in the wake of the discovery and destruction of another illegal airstrip in the Orealla area earlier this year and reports of several aircraft sightings and landings at remote airstrips in the interior," the GDF said.

Back in May this year members of the Joint Services had destroyed an illegal airstrip in the Amerindian village of Gobeltex, some six miles down the river from Orealla. The joint services had said the airstrip was in Orealla, Corentyne but residents disputed this. It was thought that the airstrip was used for drug trafficking.

The destruction of that airstrip by explosives was witnessed by some members of the media. The GDF had said then that the location of the airstrip was made known to the lawmen by residents in the area. The lawmen found some 500-plus gallons of aviation fuel at the location and pots and spoons were also discovered suggesting that there may have been some occupation of the area.

Former army spokesman, Earl Edghill had said then that the airstrip was being used for illegal purposes and did not rule out the possibility that more such airstrips may be present in the area.

Stabroek News was told by a concerned resident that a number of illegal airstrips are in areas such as Springlands and Orealla. The resident was upset at the length of time the lawmen took to act since according to him for sometime now the information was not only passed to police in 'B' Division but reports were also made to the police in Georgetown.

The man said that he is extremely concerned because the area is being used as a major transshipment point for cocaine and he could not understand why the authorities would not act promptly. He said residents were aware of what was happening, adding that some are even involved in the illegal acts. According to the man aircraft would land in the area from time to time and so it was no big secret.

The police have seen little success in the investigation of illegal airstrips not even when an aircraft was found as in the case of a single-engine Cessna aircraft that was discovered abandoned at Kwapau airstrip, Middle Mazaruni in March 2005. The police seem to have closed off their investigation in this case even though the owner of the plane was identified as a Venezuelan.

The man according to reports had acknowledged that the plane was his, but he said that he did not know about its flight to Guyana. He however has not approached local authorities to date to repossess the plane. At present the aircraft is under the control of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and is parked at the Army's hangar at Timehri. (Stabroek News/GDF photo)

Guyana has asked Venezuela to positively identify one of its nationals killed here as investigations continue into the alleged kidnapping of a woman and her three-year-old daughter by two Venezuelans from their Ruimzeigt, West Coast Demerara home on Saturday morning.

In a gun battle between police and the kidnappers hours after the woman and her daughter were taken hostage, Raul Antonio Munoz Centeno was shot and killed while another national of the South American country, Jesus Oliva Ortega Manriquez was captured. Police are looking for a third suspect believed to be a Venezuelan also.

Stabroek News was told yesterday that efforts were being made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown to make contact with Caracas so that the dead man could be positively identified. Police said that documents found on him bore the name that was released. Stabroek News was told that the man had been seen in Guyana before and he apparently knew Barry Dataram, the husband of the woman, Shaliza Dataram who along with her baby was taken captive by the foreigners.

In a statement on Sunday police said that the entire episode is believed to be linked to drugs. "Police are of the view that this incident is drug-related as one of the men involved is identified as being involved in drug-related activities," the police statement said. The mother, Shaliza Dataram and child were freed from a house after the shoot-out and the police were up to yesterday still hunting for a third man who escaped during the melee.

Senior police sources told this newspaper yesterday that the kidnap victim, Shaliza Dataram and her husband were still in police custody up to last night. Police have been questioning the couple with the view of finding out whether the couple knew the kidnappers, although Barry has been maintaining that he does not know the men.

Police said in a statement on Sunday that about 12 noon on Saturday Barry Dataram, 29, reported to them that about 2 am the said day as he was about to enter his home two masked men armed with a rifle and a handgun held him at gunpoint and forced him into the building.

The two armed men tied him up and allegedly demanded cash and jewellery and Dataram's wife Shaliza handed over US$16,000, $800,000 and jewellery to the value of $40,000. The men then took Shaliza Dataram and their three-year-old daughter and escaped in Barry Dataram's motor car after telling him that they will call him later for more money.

Police said in their statement that further investigations revealed that the two armed men had taken Dataram and her daughter to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo where they joined a boat captained by a man and disembarked at Pomeroon, making their way to the home of a resident.

One of the men told the resident that they were on their way to Venezuela but the captain had to find a larger boat and requested to stay there until the captain returned with the boat, the police statement said. It added that the boat captain later returned with a third man in another boat and after some discussion they left.

According to the police, ranks responded to a tip and about 1:30 pm on Saturday as they were on their way to the resident's premises they came across the boat with the captain and the third man. The police called upon them to stop but they attempted to outrun the police who then discharged shots across the front of the vessel. Police said the captain jumped overboard and escaped while Manriquez was arrested.

The police said they continued to the residence of (the Pomeroon man) where they came under fire from the two armed men. Ranks returned fire and fatally wounded Centeno, while the other who was armed with the rifle managed to escape. A 9mm pistol with one matching round, two bulletproof vests and four cell phones were recovered at the scene by the police.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan in custody was deported from Guyana on November 27, 2007 for illegal entry after he was arrested in Georgetown. He however never left the country according to reports. Stabroek News was told that Manriquez was here to work with a Brazilian mining firm. Stabroek News understands that Manriquez has since denied that he was part of the kidnapping of the family.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said that the incident is another sign that "drugs are coming across our borders, facilitated by elements in these territories." He said this was of concern to the government.

An officer close to the investigation told Stabroek News on Sunday that based upon reports they have received so far the entire incident resulted from a soured drug deal. Dataram is said to be a businessman who operates a farm in the Cuyuni Creek. (Stabroek News)

An East Ruimveldt man has been detained by police in connection with the $4.3M Roy Sarjoo robbery. According to reports the man was taken into custody on Saturday last after being pointed out at an America Street location. On October 24th nine gunmen operating from a Canter truck ambushed and robbed cambio dealer Roy Sarjoo of close to $4.3M before beating him during a 15-minute attack on busy Third Avenue and Church Road, Subryanville.

According to a police source, on Saturday last the suspect was upstairs at A&N Sarjoo building on America Street imbibing in the company of others when he was spotted. Stabroek News understands that the police were called and they responded promptly.

The suspect was arrested and is expected to appear in court sometime today. A source also told Stabroek News that the man has had several brushes with the law in the past and was recently deported from the US. Following the robbery several persons were taken into custody for questioning but were all subsequently released. Initial reports are that the persons were detained after their telephone numbers were found in a cellular phone which was picked up by police from the robbery scene in Subryanville.

On the day of the incident Sarjoo, 36 years, of A&N Sarjoo Cambio of America Street, Georgetown was attacked and robbed by nine men, all armed with handguns. The businessman and his eight-year-old daughter and Mohamed Raza, an employee, were travelling in his car along Third Avenue when he observed a white Canter truck blocking his path ahead at Church Road.

He became suspicious and attempted to turn around but the armed men jumped off the truck and rushed toward his vehicle. Reports had stated that the bandits held Sarjoo and Raza at gunpoint and took away the cambio dealer's licensed 9mm pistol with 17 rounds, along with $1.5M and US$14,000 ($2,848,300) and a bag in the vehicle and escaped in the truck.

At the time Sarjoo was taking his daughter home from school. A large crowd converged on the scene of the robbery minutes after and parents of children attending Mae's quickly rushed to the school to escort them home. Speaking to Stabroek News at the scene, Sarjoo said that he had just picked up his daughter from Mae's and was heading west along Third Avenue when the bandits' Canter truck came up on Church Road and blocked his path at the intersection.

Sarjoo said he tried desperately to reverse his vehicle as some of the bandits jumped out of the truck and ran to his car. His vehicle ended up precariously perched over a trench. He was then dragged from the vehicle along with his daughter and one of his workers. Placing him to lie on the ground, Sarjoo said the gunmen relieved him of his firearm and ran through his pockets, collecting a sum of cash which he could not quantify.

The gunmen then attacked his worker who was holding a bag containing local and foreign currency. The bandits relieved the worker of the bag and while still on the ground Sarjoo said he made an attempt to wrestle with one of the gunmen who then threatened to shoot his daughter. Back in 1998 a gang of gunmen had robbed and murdered Sarjoo's father, Neville Sarjoo, at his Water Street cambio. (Jenelle Carter/Stabroek News)

Colombian kidnapper killed,.....

Another captured during daring kidnapping drama

Pregnant mother, 3-year-old daughter rescued unhurt

A gunman believed to be a Colombian national, was on Saturday shot dead at Grant Stelling Hope in the Lower Pomeroon River, by local Police, as he and what appeared to be a gang of multi-national criminals, were in the process of carrying out a daring kidnapping of a Guyanese businesswoman and her three-year-old daughter.

The Colombian gunman was reportedly killed during a confrontation with heavily armed ranks from the Guyana Police Force, as he stood guard over his kidnapped victims while his colleagues were trying to get a bigger boat and engine to make a quick escape.

Police, however, managed to shoot and seriously wounding another gang member, believed to be a Venezuelan, who is currently in custody. The Police were up to press time still hunting for the other heavily armed gang-members, at least one of whom is a Guyanese.

According to reports reaching this newspaper, the Police acting on a tip-off rushed to the area after it was learnt that four bandits (probably from Colombia), had kidnapped a pregnant woman and her three-year-old daughter from a business place in Kitty, Georgetown, and was heading for Colombia via the Atlantic Ocean.

Reports said the bandits, after kidnapping the business woman and her daughter, travelled from Georgetown by vehicle to Parika Stelling and left from Pomeroon River in a small speedboat via the Atlantic Ocean.

Further reports said that the bandits stopped at a business place at Grant Stelling Hope in Lower Pomeroon River, and enquired for a larger boat and engine so they could have travelled faster to their destination. However, while three of the bandits were enquiring for the boat and engine, the other bandit was left to guard the businesswoman, Shelly Khan and her three-year-old daughter with a gun.

Reports indicated that while the scene was unfolding, the Police arrived and the bandit who was guarding the businesswoman opened fire on them. The police in return, opened fire on the bandit, killing him in the process. The other three bandits upon hearing rapid gunfire by the riverside rushed out from the business place to see what was happening, one was hit to the ground, while the other two escaped in the backdam.

Reports said the one who was seriously injured was captured by the police and is in custody. The businesswoman, 26 years-old, of Kitty, and her daughter were rescued by the Police after they miraculously escaped unhurt during the shoot-out between the bandits and the police. The police are currently combing the backlands of the Lower Pomeroon River for the two other bandits. Investigations are also in progress as to why the businesswoman and her daughter were kidnapped. (Rajendra Prabhulall/Guyana Cronicle)

Venezuelans implicated

The police are investigating an incident where about 12:00h. Saturday last, Barry Dataram, 29 of Ruimzeight Gardens, West Coast Demerara reported to the police that about 02:00h. as he was about to enter his home, two masked men armed with a rifle and a handgun held him at gunpoint and forced him into the building.

The two armed men tied him up and allegedly demanded cash and jewellery and Dataram’s wife Shazila handed over $US16,000; $800,000 Guyana Currency and jewellery to the value of $40,000. The men then took Shazila Dataram and their three-year-old daughter and escaped in Barry Dataram’s motor car after telling him that they will call him later for more money.

Further investigations revealed that the two armed men had taken Shazila Dataram and her daughter to Bushy Park , EBE, where they joined a boat captained by a man and disembarked at Pomeroon making their way to the home of Michael Baharally. One of the men told Baharally that they were on their way to Venezuela, but the captain had to get a larger boat and requested to stay there until the captain returned with the boat.

The boat captain later returned with a third man in another boat and after some discussion they left. These actions aroused Baharally’s suspicion and the police were informed.

The police responded promptly and about 13:30 h as they were on their way to Baharally’s residence came across the boat with the captain and the third man. The police called upon them to stop but they attempted to outrun the police who discharged shots across the front of the vessel. The captain jumped overboard and escaped, while the other man was arrested.

He is in police custody and has been identified as Venezuelan National Jesus Oliva Ortega Manriquez, 43 years, who was recently deported from Guyana on November 27, 2007 for illegal entry into Guyana after he was arrested in Georgetown.

The police continued to the residence of Baharally where they came under fire from the two armed men. The police returned fire and fatally wounded one of them, while the other who was armed with the rifle managed to escape.

An identification card in the name of Venezuelan Raul Antonio Munoz Centeno, 30 years, was found on the body of the deceased. Shazila Dataram and her three-year-old daughter were rescued unharmed and a 9 mm. pistol with one matching round, two bullet-proof vests and four cell phones recovered at the scene by the police.

The police are of the view that this incident is drug related as one of the men involved is identified as being involved in drug related activities. (Guyana Cronicle)

Suriname authorities believe that some Guyanese living in the Dutch-speaking country are intermediaries for drugs and arms traffickers in the two countries, a source at a news agency in Paramaribo said. According to the source the authorities have said there was a thriving business among criminals in the two countries, with Guyanese trading drugs for guns with their Suriname counterparts.

A Dutch national, who allegedly had close contacts with several Guyanese, was arrested last week Thursday in Suriname with eight high-powered M-16 military assault weapons, a Caribbean Net News report said last week. According to the report, the man was arrested during a sting operation by that country's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and it is alleged that he and the Guyanese were about to close an arms deal.

Speaking to Stabroek News on Friday the source said several Guyanese living in Suriname were involved in criminal activities and were more than likely the intermediaries for drugs and arms traffickers in the two countries. "They are middlemen - the buyers," the source, who asked not to be named, said.

Stabroek News was told that for years the Suriname authorities have been looking closely at the criminal links between their countrymen and Guyanese, with a view to dismantling whatever criminal network might be operating. When drug-indicted businessman Roger Khan and his bodyguards were nabbed there last year Suriname Justice Minister Chandrikapersad Santokhi had said that they were part of a criminal organisation with links to Surinamese.

Security officials in Guyana believe that because the two countries share a common border criminals have easy access to both territories. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee had admitted in the past that there was some amount of arms and drugs trafficking through Guyana's porous borders.

The trade in arms for drugs between criminals in Suriname, Brazil and Guyana is said to be a flourishing business, and this year's US drug report mentioned that the trade in drugs for weapons by Guyanese was thriving. Security experts believe that criminals in Guyana, including drug cartels and bandits, have links to other jurisdictions, especially border countries.

Over the years, there have not been many interceptions of guns coming through Guyana's main entry port, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, reinforcing the impression that a number of illegal guns on the streets are entering through the land borders. Earlier this year the Home Affairs Ministry set up an inter-agency task force to look at arms smuggling.

It is not clear what work has been done by the body so far, as the streets are still awash with illegal weapons, and save for intercepting a few citizens here and there with small arms the police have had little success in interrupting the flow of arms into the country.

In the Caribbean Net News report, it was also noted that authorities in Suriname said they had arrested a member of the Colombian rebel organisation FARC, who was conspiring with other individuals to commit crimes in Suriname. The detainee, only identified as Jose R. was subsequently deported and turned over to judicial officials from Colombia.

At a press conference last Wednesday in Suriname Santokhi told reporters that Jose R. had been arrested for immigration violations. He had allegedly entered Suriname illegally and was posing a threat to national security with his intended activities, the report said. The minister said the police and several law enforcement agencies were continuing their investigations into alleged subversive activities against the government.

Last Tuesday the minister had announced that this week special units would launch an operation to prevent attacks on the government and detain major criminals. He was of the opinion that international criminal organisations such as the Colombian FARC rebel movement were behind the attacks, while the criminal underworld from Africa was also involved in planning attacks in Suriname, the report said.

Though he did not give details, he claimed that the groups were aiming at the destabilisation of the country and possibly assisting former dictator Desi Bouterse to overthrow the present administration.

Bouterse is accused with twenty-four others of the killing of 15 critics of his then military regime in December 1982 and faces a lengthy jail term if convicted. The hearings in the case in a military court opened a week last Friday, although Bouterse did not appear. (Stabroek News)

The three Barama workers who allegedly took turns raping and sodomising a 17-year-old dryer female operator several days ago at the company's Land of Canaan plywood plant, were brought to the Providence Magistrate's Court yesterday to answer joint charges.

Paul Abrams of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara; Claude Craig of Barama Quarters, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara and Holston Melville called Pumpkin, were not required to plead to the joint and indictable charges of rape and buggery which were read by Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

They were all later remanded to prison. It is alleged that the trio committed the acts on the teenager during the wee hours of Wednesday morning at Barama's Land of Canaan site. When the case was called just after 9 am, the entire court was cleared and an in-camera (closed door) hearing commenced.

Two of the accused were neatly dressed in shirts and trousers, while the third wore a t-shirt and three-quarter pants. None of them was represented in court yesterday and they declined to say anything on their behalf when asked by the magistrate. The prosecutor objected to bail being granted to the trio.

Relatives took the virtual complainant (VC) to court yesterday and even though three days have elapsed since the acts were committed, she was unable to walk unaided and appeared to be in excruciating pain. She could not even sit without being in some discomfort. After the hearing, scores of relatives from both sides and Barama workers packed the courtyard. Emotions ran high.

One woman, who this newspaper understands is the mother of one of the accused, broke down and had to be comforted by persons standing nearby. The woman wept uncontrollably for about ten minutes before being whisked away.

Relatives of the VC shed tears as well, while the VC also looked as if she too had been crying. The girl's relatives told this newspaper that they had been approached with monetary offers "to end the case" and had also suffered verbal abuse from relatives of the accused. Reports are that on the day in question the teen was working the 11 pm -7 am shift.

Around 2 am, one of the accused who is a supervisor reportedly asked her supervisor for her help to do some writing. The teen went with the accused who allegedly took her to a room where he forced her into having sex with him. He then left, locking her in the room. Soon after, the man returned with a colleague who forcefully sodomised her. Then a third man came and forcibly performed the same acts.

After she failed to return, her supervisor decided to check and eventually found her lying naked and crying on a bed in the room, which had to be opened from the outside. Police were called and the trio was arrested. They will make their next court appearance on January 29 next year. (Stabroek News)

Illegal arms and ammunition found at Thomas street house

An AK-47 rifle with a magazine and 76 matching rounds; one 9 mm Luger pistol with a magazine and 16 matching rounds; two Motorola hand-held communication sets; one hand-held blow torch and an air compressor, were among a quantity of items found when police swooped down on a house at Thomas Street, Kitty, and carried out a raid early yesterday morning.

The other items found were: Two .38 rounds; one pair camouflage pants; one camouflage shirt; two black toque masks; two ladies’ wigs and a quantity of medical supplies. A man was arrested and is in police custody. Charges will be made shortly.

Meanwhile, during the exercise yesterday, eleven other houses were raided in Kitty, Campbellville, North Ruimveldt, South Ruimveldt and West Ruimveldt areas, and a further twelve (12) men arrested, pending investigations into various offences.

And at East Canje Berbice yesterday, an unlicensed .32 Rossi Revolver and four (4) matching rounds were found when police conducted a raid on a home around 6:15 h. The man was arrested, and is in police custody. Charges will be made shortly.

Also in Berbice, around 18:45 h. yesterday four men, armed with handguns attacked and robbed Anroop Lall, Manager of ‘On The Go’ fuel station at Nismes, WBD, and two pump attendants on duty at the facility.

Investigations revealed that the armed men entered the premises on foot, held the victims at gunpoint and robbed them of a total of $50,000.00 cash, two cell phones, a quantity of jewellery and cell phone cards to the value of $8,000.00 and escaped. Investigations are progressing. (Guyana Cronicle)

Cop charged with prisoner escape granted bail

Satesh Pasha, the Police Constable charged with allowing a prisoner to escape from Georgetown Magistrates’ Court earlier this year, was granted $25,000 bail on Wednesday. Magistrate Oneidge Walrond-Allicock set the surety for his pre-trial liberty after he had been denied on Wednesday by Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle, following applications by two different lawyers.

The 24-year-old policeman, of Lot 10 Old Road, La Grange, West Bank Demerara, is accused of negligence but he pleaded not guilty to the offence, particulars of which said, last July 13, having lawful custody of Dwayne Hudson, the defendant negligently allowed him to escape.

Police Corporal Sherwin Matthews, prosecuting, said Pasha was in charge of three prisoners and, while three of them were sent down the chute, the one who escaped simply walked behind the defendant. The Prosecutor said Pasha was alerted to the man fleeing but moved slowly and did nothing to apprehend the escapee.

Matthews said, however, he was not objecting to bail for Pasha. One counsel who appeared for Pasha, Attorney-at-law Mr. Mohamed Zafar said the former has been posted at the Court for the past six years, often being in charge of prisoners he escorted up and down from the lock-ups. (Guyana Cronicle)

Chaos struck at Barama Company Limited, Land of Canaan yesterday when news circulated that a 17-year-old female dryer operator had been gang-raped by three men in the wee hours of the morning while on duty. The three accused, all employees of the company, are in police custody and are expected to be charged shortly.

Stabroek News understands that management of the company held a meeting with workers yesterday following the incident and advised them not to report to work today.

Contacted last evening General Manager Giwar Lalaram said he was aware of the incident but had no details. He said he and the Chief Executive Officer were in meetings all day discussing the plywood problem facing the company. (See story on page 3) He said once informed of the incident, they instructed that the matter be fully investigated but could not comment further.

The victim, who told this newspaper her story amidst tears and unbearable pain, said she worked in the company's dryer section and had reported to work for the 11 pm to 7 am shift. She said her supervisor held a meeting at the start of the shift and advised that since none of the dryers were working they should open all the doors, but advised that they should not sleep.

"Another supervisor came at about two o'clock and told my supervisor that he has some book notes to write out and he wanted me to come and do it and I asked my supervisor if he was sure and he said yes," she said. The teen continued, "He took me to a room and forced me in, took off the lights and fight me to lie on the bed and I told him that I didn't want this to happen. He fight me and took off my clothesâ€¦."

She said the man forcefully had sex with her and then went outside and locked the door from the outside. The teen, who has been employed with the company for some nine months now, said the man soon returned with another of his colleagues. She said the second man forcibly sodomised her. Then a third man also entered the room and forcibly performed the same acts.

The teen's sister, who also works at the company interjected that she learnt from her sister's supervisor that after he realized that at least two hours had elapsed and she had not returned, he decided to check.

"That is when he said he saw the same man who requested the help from her and asked him where she was and he was told that she was sleeping. He show him where she was and he said he went to the door and it was locked from the outside. He call out for her and then is when he realize that the door was locked from the outside, but she answer and when he open she was naked on the bed and crying," the sister said.

She said word spread quickly about the incident and the police were contacted and the three men, who were pointed out by the victim, were arrested. "It was around break time and one of them like he try to get away, but the security use he head and he go at the gate so he couldn't get away," the teen's sister said.

She said she was still in shock at what had happened to her sister, adding that the victim was usually not very talkative and was not the type to hang around or talk to many male workmates. "Like this whole thing got me shockedâ€¦ Like I ain't catch myself and I can't believe they do this to my sister," she said.

Meanwhile the teen, groaning in pain, had to resort to kneeling on the floor, as it was painful for her to sit. She told relatives that she begged the men not to rape her but that they slapped and beat her and forced themselves on her. The victim told Stabroek News she believed the men were in their late 20s to early 30s. Her sister said two of the men were married with children.

The teen said that after not sleeping all night, she had spent all day between the police station and the hospital. "As soon as the doctor look at she right away he say 'Ow mi God' and he confirm that they cruel she," the teen's aunt, who is also employed at Barama, said. The teen's relatives are determined to get justice and say they will go to all ends to ensure this.

"This thing got to stop now and we will ensure that because this girl is not no bad girl. She doesn't have no boyfriend cause we always tell her if she got a boyfriend she should bring him home," her foster mother said.

Relatives believe that the rape had been carefully planned by the perpetrators. According to them, sanitary napkins, panty liners and baby oil were found in an area of the company occupied by one of the men. (Stabroek News)

Pirates seek safe haven in Suriname

The Government of Guyana has indicated that it has received additional information confirming that pirates are operating in the eastern sector of Guyana’s maritime space, executing their nefarious acts and are escaping to Suriname to seek safe haven.

A press statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the Government of Guyana remains extremely concerned about the development of a pattern in which fishing vessels are being hijacked, and their crews killed or maimed.

It expressed concern that these brutal crimes are also threatening the growth of an important industry, and very seriously affecting the livelihood of Guyana’s fishermen and their families.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will be making use of every opportunity to put an end to the use of the territory of neighbouring states by pirates, as safe havens, through surveillance, cooperation and other initiatives. (Guyana Cronicle)

Fishermen from the Number 66 Fish Complex are frustrated that the piracy situation is "getting out-of-hand" and are convinced that even though they are being attacked in Suriname, it is Guyanese who are committing the crime.

Fifteen boats from the complex were attacked on Sunday afternoon and the crew members were beaten and robbed of a quantity of fish glue, fish, engine coil and leads and items. Five of the boats were initially missing but yesterday afternoon a rescue team that had gone out in search of the boats with engine parts had located them on the shores of Coroni and the Copenaam area in Suriname.

One fisherman told this newspaper that the crew members recognized the men from their voices and were certain that they were from the Corentyne. He said one of the pirates even threatened them that if they "go and talk anything then ayo gon end up like dem rest [the other fishermen who were killed] and float pun de water."

His boat was hijacked and the men were severely beaten until they co-operated with the pirates. They fractured a crew member's hand and he is seeking medical treatment in Suriname. According to another fisherman, Indarpersaud Rampersaud, the pirates cut his fishing seine and left it in the water. He said they then ordered his captain and crew out of his boat and apparently used it to carry out more attacks.

The pirates shoved the crew into another boat that they had hijacked earlier and the captain of that boat dropped them off at Parama-ribo. Rampersaud's boat was among the five that were found abandoned in Suri-name. A search will now have to be launched for his seine. According to a member of the Number 66 Complex, "The pirates choose to commit the offence in Suriname, because if they do it here they would have to face the maximum penalty."

The member said the fishermen were afraid to go out to sea and "if this continue like this then the complex would be forced to close. The men are afraid to go out at sea and there would be a shortage of fish and the price would go up."

He said the fishermen were so determined to bring an end to the situation that they had decided to offer a reward of $500,000 for any help persons can provide. He is urging persons to call 338-2328 with any information. "I think the authorities should change the law to let police officers from Guyana investigate the piracy and bring the perpetrators to justice, even if the incidents occur in Suriname," the member told Stabroek News.

He said "many times when simple problems occurred among fishermen in Suriname waters, the police would arrest and question them. But when piracy occurs they would just carry out an investigation to an extent and leave it." Referring to an incident in 1964 when a logger killed his crew in Suriname waters and was convicted and sentenced to death, he said the same could happen with piracy.

The member said, "There should be a special body set up to investigate piracy and if the authorities take drastic action then the culprits can be behind bars." Further, he said, "With all that is happening to the fishermen from this complex we are not hearing anything from the opposition or the human rights groups. They should come out and condemn this act."(Shabna Ullah/Stabroek News)

Grieving church members, gripped with disbelief and shock, gathered at their Hadfield Street, Lodge church compound yesterday consoling each other over the news that their pastor had been cold-bloodedly murdered.

According to reports, on Sunday around 23:15 hrs, the 41-year-old pastor, Eion David of Kitty, was shot twice after a lone gunman entered the Prophecy One Delivery Ministry Church at Hadfield Street Lodge, held three members of the congregation at gunpoint and robbed them.

The pastor reportedly died a few hours after the incident while being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital. According to a police press release, David sustained a gunshot wound to the head and another to the chest. The police have recovered two .32 spent bullets from the scene.

David's daughter, Shaundell Williams, recalled the 15-minute ordeal during which her father was killed. She said the church had earlier closed off a three-night crusade and she, her husband, her father and a few church members were counting the offering collected when the gunman attacked.

According to Williams, when the man entered the church with his face covered with a handkerchief and wearing a cap, and ordered everyone to lie on the floor, she thought it was a church member pulling a prank. "I never in my wildest dreams thought someone would come into a church and carry out a robbery. It was not until he ordered everyone on the floor the second time that I knew it was serious; and he pulled out a gun," Williams said.

The distraught woman said that as they all lay on the ground, the gunman asked her husband, Alwin Williams, if there was anyone else in the building and he responded in the negative. The woman recalled that throughout the ordeal everyone remained calm and did what they were told. "After the man started to run through everyone's belongings, my husband started to speak in tongues and the bandit gun-butted him."

Williams said she could hear the gunman emptying people's bags and immediately turning off their cell phones and taking them. Having collected all the valuables, Williams said, the man then went over to where the pastor and his fiancÃ©e were lying. "He ([he gunman] raised up my father's fiancÃ©e's head and pushed it back to the ground, placed a chair over her head and then all I hear was two gunshots."

She said she realized right away that something had gone wrong, but she did not retaliate although she wanted to. "As Christians we are taught to stand for what we feel is right. Bt standing up at a time like that is was not the best thing to do; I had to remind myself that we live in a real world and real things happen to real people."

Williams said that after hearing the gunshots she waited a little while before getting up along with the other church members only to find her father lying in a pool of blood next to his fiancÃ©e. She said she was later told that the gunman left in a car, which was apparently waiting outside.

The robber made good his escape with an undisclosed sum of cash, a small amount of jewellery and a car key belonging to Williams' husband, who was injured during the ordeal. Williams said she immediately summoned neighbours, who quickly assisted in getting the injured pastor to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he subsequently died.

Meanwhile, the woman, like every other church member, could not come to grips with the brutal murder. "This comes as real surprise even neighbours did not believe since it's a norm for us to stay after church in the evening and talk. After the incident, neighbours said they knew something was wrong but didn't venture out since they heard loud talking, then a long silent period before the gunshots rang out," Williams said. "We never heard of someone being killed and robbed in a church. This now leaves questions in people's mind. Where can you be safe now, if you can't even be safe in a church?" Williams asked.

She said Sunday evening's incident would not stop what they have been doing for the past few months. "Since the establishment of this church earlier this year we have changed the lives of many, not only in this community and we will continue. Members will stick together and be strong for each other," Williams said.

Members at the church also praised the police for their quick response but said they will seek justice, since according to their teachings no one has the right to take a life since no human being gave life. Members said Pastor David was not only the leader of the congregation but a friend and father figure to all who knew him.

Meanwhile members of the police Criminal Investigation Department have since visited members of the church to take statements. Members told this newspaper that they would continue to work along with the police since they want to see the killer brought to justice. They said they could not think of a motive for the attack since as far as they know the pastor had no grievance with anyone. (Jenelle Carter/Stabroek News)

Pastor killed execution style in his church

The execution style killing of a Pentecostal Pastor in his Church in Hadfield Street, Lodge, shortly after a Crusade service on Sunday night, has sent shock-waves around Guyana, and has left the Christian community in deep mourning.

Forty one-year old Pastor Ian David of Pike Street Kitty, and pastor of the “Prophecy One Deliverance Ministry”, upper Hadfield Street, Lodge was gunned down by a lone, masked gunman, around 22:30 h, in the presence of his fiancé, his daughter - Sister Shaundell Williams and her husband Deacon Alwyn Williams.

David sustained gun shots in his head and back and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead. Taking strength from the Lord, as only He could give in such a time, the Pastor’s only offspring, Evangelist Shaundell Williams related the horrific incident.

Shaundell recalled that the Church had just concluded a three-night ‘Deeper Life Miracle Crusade’. Following the crusade service, the four had stayed back in Church and were chatting and discussing Church business. Then her father, Pastor Ian David began to count the offering.

Recalling that the door was open, Shaundell said they looked up and were shocked to see a man walking into the Church with a rag tied about his face, and a weapon in his hand. Immediately he ordered them: “Get down, get down!” On hearing that, they figured he was making a joke. But as he advanced deeper into the Church and closer to them, they realised it was no joke.

Shaundell said, impulsively they got down. She related that her father began speaking in tongues, and the gunman lashed him on his head with the gun butt, ordering him to shut up! The intruder enquired of them who else was in the building, and Deacon Williams responded that there was no one else. At that instant, he lashed Williams on the back of his head with the weapon also, and everyone went silent.

Being satisfied that all heads were down, the man then gathered up the offerings, then proceeded to rummage through the ladies handbags. He took away $35,000 Shaundell had in her bag, $15,000 from another, but it is unknown how much the offerings amounted to, as the Pastor had not finished counting it. The gunman also robbed the four of their gold jewellery and cellular phones and took Deacon Williams’s bunch of keys for his car and other locks.

Then turning his attention to the Pastor’s fiancé, he snatched her by the hair, chucked her head and placed a plastic chair over it. The man having done that, Shaundell recalled, they next heard gunshots ring out in the quiet Church building. “All I heard was bam! bam!” she remembered, and thought “is all awe gon dead here tonight?”

She said in a frenzy, she tried to determine who or if anyone had been hit, but was afraid to raise her head. She prayed silently, asking God to direct her when it was safe to raise her head. She recalled the gunman took his ‘precious time’ going through bags and pockets and removing cash and other valuable items. He spent at least fifteen minutes in the Church, she said.

As it became quiet once more, Shaundell signalled her husband and the Pastor’s fiancé, and they all got up. On looking in her father’s direction, they saw his blood covered body lying on the ground with gaping gun wounds to the head and back. As they hustled to get him up and out to the hospital they heard their car alarm go off, but later found that it was not taken away.

But they were still forced to seek another to transport the wounded pastor since the bunch of keys had been taken away. They alerted the neighbours next door and headed down to the hospital. The police were summoned and arrived within ten minutes.

Deeply anguished, Shaundell, and the membership of the Church, sees the incident as a test of faith, but are determined that nothing will make them fly in the face of God. Reflecting on the Pastor’s life, she described him as a humble, caring individual who would go all out to bring joy and comfort to individuals.

She recalled that he touched the lives of the needy in many ways, and reached many through his ministry. He was one who would pray with persons until they got their breakthrough, she remembered, and tried to take comfort in the fact that he served God unto the time of his death.

Asking, why did the killer have to shoot, Shaundell said that the Church will be going into intense prayer and fasting, and want the killer to know that he might be able to hide from man, but definitely he cannot hide from God.

Prophecy One Deliverance Ministry has been operating from its Hadfield Street Lodge location for the last six months. They previously operated from Garnett Street, Campbellville, with Evangelist Shaundell doing a television broadcast ‘Prophetic Voice’ each Saturday for the last several weeks. (Guyana Cronicle)

As the probe intensifies into a missing AK 47 from Camp Ayanganna, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) yesterday announced that it has removed three senior officers from their posts and remanded another eight soldiers into police custody.

In addition, several others who worked as duty officers and orderly officers are to face serious disciplinary action immediately for failing to supervise the base security personnel during their tour of duty over the period that the weapon went missing, the GDF said in a hard-hitting statement yesterday afternoon which also took a swipe at retired Chief of Staff, Edward Collins. The statement was issued by both the army and the Government Information Agency.

The loss of the AK 47 is seen as a major embarrassment to the new army high command coming in the wake of the shocking vanishing of 30 of these weapons the previous year and a consequential shake-up in the GDF hierarchy.

Among the three officers who have been relieved of their duties are the Base Commander,Lieutenant Colone, Windee Algernon the Adjutant, Andy Pompey and the Base Sergeant of Camp Ayanganna, Warrant officer Torrington. The army statement said that the relieved officers have been instructed to hand over their respective duties to replacement officers who have already been appointed, and to make themselves available to the army and police investigators. The statement said too that eight army suspects are in police custody and more are likely to be detained as investigations continue.

Noting that the weapon was discovered missing on Friday, the GDF said in its statement that "standing orders provide for daily checks at the arms store and it is evident that those checks were not done because if they had been, then the weapon would have been discovered missing earlier." The statement added that some army personnel involved in the fiasco leading to the missing weapon are to be court-martialled.

"The army states quite clearly that the missing weapon was not as a result of a system failure, but a clear case of army ranks at all levels failing to adhere to the standing operating procedures that govern their duties. There is clear evidence of officers and ranks using short cut methods to curtail their duty requirements as the evidence shows that serious breaches and short cut methods are very prevalent in the force."

The military said its task is now two-fold: one to recover its missing weapon and second to weed out from its ranks those who are bent on being unprofessional and whose actions may be calculated to cause mischief and embarrassment to the force as a whole.

"The force is committed to being accountable to the public and civil administration, and must enjoy the confidence of the public at large," the statement said, adding that this is now a top priority for the force as it is evident that standards have eroded significantly over the years where officers and ranks were used to receiving 'pats on their backs' for wrongs done as opposed to swift and fair justice.

The army is confident that its "swift action in this case will send a clear message to all officers and soldiers that accountability begins at the bottom and stops at the top", the statement said, adding that it should be clear to all that once a rank holds an office, he/she will be held accountable for it.

Additionally, the statement said the army wished to state that the retired and disgruntled immediate past Chief of Staff Collins "spewed a lot of venom" to officers and ranks immediately prior to his departure from office which was undoubtedly calculated to cause mischief and turbulence in the force.

The missing rifle has come at a time when the recently installed administration at Camp Ayanganna is making renewed efforts to find the 16 outstanding weapons of the same calibre which were stolen from the army's main base last year.

In a press statement on Saturday the army said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the loss of the weapon may have resulted from non-adherence to existing standing orders by 'elements' of the Base Command structure and personnel on security duties. "The entire command structure of the unit has since been relieved of their appointments and duties to facilitate the investigations and disciplinary proceedings have already been initiated against officers and soldiers," the army statement said.

Up to yesterday the army had no clue as to where the weapon might be. A senior officer told Stabroek News that searches were still being conducted at the base, although there is every possibility that the weapon has already vanished from the compound. "The weapon could have been stripped and smuggled out," the senior officer, who asked not be named said.

Stabroek News was told that the weapon was issued to a reservist. According to reports during a routine check of the arms inventory at the guard room, it was discovered that the rifle was missing. Stabroek News was told that the reservist might have turned in the weapon after using it as there was a record showing that he did so. Following the discovery that the weapon had vanished, the army base was closed. No one was permitted to enter or leave the compound.

One rank told Stabroek News that a list with a number of names was prepared and handed to the soldiers manning the gate. It was not until around 11 pm on Friday that some of the ranks were allowed to leave but only after it was verified that their names were not on the list at the gate. Last year February the army made the shocking announcement that 30 AK 47 rifles and six pistols were spirited away from the storage bond at Camp Ayanganna. Fourteen of the weapons have since been recovered, mostly from the hands of criminals connected to the Buxton/Agricola criminal gang.

The GDF had initiated court-martial proceedings against two officers: John Peters who has since been sentenced and the other, Tony Ross whose matter is still before the court. Ross was the commander of the Ordnance Corps, a unit responsible for the storage and distribution of weapons in the army. Ross is facing four charges relating to negligence of duty. Warrant officer, Peters was the first officer to be charged. He was found guilty on an offence relating to the missing weapon, but now retired Chief of Staff, Brigadier Collins used his powers under the Defence Act to remit the sentence.

Peters following a court-martial was found guilty on charges of conduct and neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. He was sentenced to one year's detention and reduced to the rank of Private. However, on August 16 Collins, utilizing the powers granted to him under Section 111 (4) of the Defence Act 15:01, remitted the Warrant Officer's sentence of detention. In effect it meant that Peters no longer served time in detention, but the army had made it clear that his conviction still stood as did the sentence reducing him to the rank of Private.

Additionally, the GDF said that Peters will receive his benefits for serving in the force, but these would be in the rank of Private. Senior army sources had told this newspaper in October that their exercise to recover the remaining missing weapons was ongoing. The joint services following the theft of the weapons had conducted numerous raids across Georgetown, the East Coast and in Berbice. During the raids the homes of several suspected drug dealers were targeted at which time cocaine and other illegal weapons were seized.

President Jagdeo at the swearing-in of Commodore Gary Best as the new Chief of Staff had reiterated that the recovery of the weapons must be a major focus of the new army command and he noted that in his discussions with the officers he mentioned this to them. (Stabroek News)

A 42-year-old woman and her two children were yesterday morning found burnt to death at her Patentia, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home after she had earlier told neighbours that she would kill herself and burn the house down.

Dead are Donna Headley called 'Ashanti' and her children Keon Hilliman, 13, and Denesha Frank, 6, of Lot 2 Patentia, Road End, WBD.

Neighbours said that Headley had told them earlier on Friday that she was going to kill herself and burn the house down because she had heard that her reputed husband, who is in Barbados was going to take another woman to that country. While the police were reluctant to say anything, a source said that it looked as though the mother committed suicide.

A neighbour of the deceased woman, Angela Bobb, told Stabroek News that she was awoken at about 12.30 am yesterday by her uncle who shouted that Headley's house was on fire.

She said that upon venturing outside she observed a section of Headley's home where the children's bedroom was located, in flames, but strangely there were no screams or calls for help from the occupants.

Other neighbours were alerted and they attempted to battle the fire, but their efforts were in vain as the gas bottle exploded and the flames grew higher and gave off great heat forcing them to back off.

They then concentrated their efforts on Bobb's home which was in danger of catching fire also. Meanwhile, the police and fire service were alerted but did not arrive until it was too late to do anything.

Neighbours said that although they kept calling the woman and the children, they received no answers. "There was no hollering, no moaning, nothing," they said.

The residents stated that when the fire finally died down and the bodies were removed, the charred and shrunken bodies of the two children were on the ashes of their beds while their mother's body was in a crouching position behind the front door.

Later yesterday morning shocked residents gathered and discussed the tragedy. Bobb said that earlier on Friday an upset Headley had purchased four packs of cigarettes and "She seh that she hear that [husband's name] send for some girl."

"She seh she gon burn down the house and kill she self, and I ask she if she gon left the children foh punish and she seh no. I ain't tek she serious, me tek the thing as a joke," Bobb said.

Another neighbour, Shondell King said that Headley too had told her that she was going to kill herself and burn the house down, and added that she had said this before. "She was a normal person but she always complain about she man. We never tek it serious but just tek it foh joke," she declared.

Neighbours stated that Headley had lived there for three years and was a housewife, who also did knitting for them. They described her as "a nice person" but stated that she was not one to have long conversations with them.

Meanwhile, there was disbelief and sorrow at the home of Headley's mother, Joycelyn Headley, as relatives gathered after they heard the news yesterday morning.

When this newspaper visited the woman's East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme home, relatives were pouring in and fighting hard to control their emotions. Joycelyn Headley told Stabroek News that she had learnt of the tragic news when a neighbour came to tell her that she had been informed her daughter's home had burnt down.

"After she came and told me that the house burn, she came back afterwards and said that the person called her back and said that Donna and the children were in the house and that the parlour was fetching the burnt bodies out the house," the grieving woman said. Most of the relatives were unable to say exactly when they had last seen Headley, and the dead woman's mother said that she hadn't heard from her daughter in quite a while.

The relatives did not want to speculate about the possible circumstances surrounding the deaths of the woman and her children; they had not yet gone to the scene although they were planning to do so.

One of the woman's friends who heard of her death rushed to the home and cried uncontrollably, saying she knew something like this would have happened. "I know this woulda happen, I know, I know," the woman screamed, but did not explain further what she meant. Relatives said the woman's reputed husband was expected in the country later yesterday or early today.

Donna Headley was the eldest of five children. She has another son, 19-year-old Nivon Gomes who lives in New York. (Gaulbert Sutherland and Heppilena Ferguson/Stabroek News)

Three armed bandits were last night shot dead, but not before they wounded a policeman during a blazing gun battle at a house, the bandits had invaded in Section 'C' Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara.

Up to press time last night, Stabroek News was unable to verify the identities of the bandits. Residents of Fifth Street, Section 'C' Non Pareil, where the incident occurred, said they all appeared to be in their late teens or in their early 20s. The bodies are at the Georgetown Hospital Mortuary.

Injured is Police Lance Corporal Shawn Hosannah, who is stationed at Cove and John Police Station. He was shot behind his right foot. Scores of residents gathered at the scene of the shooting moments after the men were killed and residents heaped praise on the police for their quick response and decisive action.

Mala, one of the occupants of the house, told Stabroek News that the bandits entered around 9.30 pm while she and her relatives were relaxing after hosting a religious function earlier yesterday. She said she was sitting on a chair close to the front door, while her mother, husband and other relatives were seated inside the house.

Mala said she was engrossed in a conversation with them, when suddenly someone hit her on the head and commanded her to "get into the house". "I didn't take it for nothingâ€¦ I think was one of my relatives," Mala said. However, when she turned around to see who it was, she was accosted by one of the three bandits.

The woman said a gun was placed to her head and she was shoved into the house by the bandit. By this time, she said the other two robbers, brandishing their weapons, had begun threatening her relatives and demanding money and jewellery. "We want de money and the jewellery," one of the robbers wearing a gold t-shirt demanded, Mala said.

She said she told the man that they had no money and jewellery since they had only yesterday morning hosted a religious function. "All we have is parsad and cake, y'all could get that," Mala said she offered them. Declaring that they were not interested in food, Mala said, the bandits became very furious and threatened them further.

She said it was at this point that she managed to grab her cellular phone, run to the washroom, and lock herself in. The woman said she contacted a few of her friends in the neighbourhood who immediately called the police.

Residents said the police responded within minutes and Mala attested to this, noting that the bandits were still in the house with them, when the lawmen arrived. She said that by then her relatives had started handing over money to the bandits.

Police, on arriving on the scene, cordoned off the area. Realising they were cornered, the bandits became desperate to escape and ignored Mala and her relatives, while hitting down almost everything in their way. Mala said she picked up her three-year-old son, while her husband Lakenauth assisted her mother and they all fled the house.

Once the family had escaped, police moved in on the bandits, confronting two of them in a bathroom and shooting both of them dead. The third bandit ran out the house in an escape bid, but was brought down by a bullet as he crossed the bridge.

"It was fast and nasty," one resident of the area commented about the police operation, noting that the policemen were quick in their response and their actions were decisive. "We must commend them for a good jobâ€¦ that was really good," a relative of Mala's said. Within minutes after the shooting, several jeep-loads of policemen showed up. When Stabroek News arrived at Non Pareil, police had cordoned off the area and were taking statements from the occupants of the house.

The dead men were brought out of the house and their bodies placed in the yard. Relatives said it was the first time they had been attacked by criminals, but were wary of the torment their fellow villagers endured from gunmen.

During the escapee-led violence, which began in 2002, Non Pareil, Coldingen, Enterprise and several other villages on the East Coast were constantly raided by gunmen who humiliated the villagers during numerous savage assaults. Although the situation has quieted down somewhat, residents told Stabroek News last night that they were still concerned about their security as from time to time bandits would rob grocery stores and attack villagers late at night. (Nigel Williams/Stabroek News)