Police link Cambridge with seven murders Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
June 8, 2002

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COMPTON Cambridge, who died during an armed confrontation with the Police on Thursday afternoon at Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, was wanted in connection with seven murders, including that of the four Policemen gunned down during the last two months, Police said yesterday.

Police in a statement yesterday said Cambridge, 27, was wanted for the murders of Police Special Superintendent, Leon Fraser; Detective Sergeant, Harry Kooseram, Police Constable, Sherwin Alleyne; and Police Constable, Andy Atwell.

The statement said, too, that Cambridge was wanted for the murders of businessman Ramdeo Persaud, also called 'Sweetieman', and his wife, Sita, at Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD); the murder of Ramnauth Persaud of Commerce House Cambio, Regent Street, and the attempted murder of Kennard Gobin during the same attack; attempted murder of Police ranks who were on a mobile patrol on the Buxton Public Road, ECD; and attempted murder of a couple at Brush Dam, Friendship, ECD, recently.

He was also wanted by the Police for a series of armed robberies in Georgetown and along the ECD.

Fraser, 42, a well known anti-crime fighter, was shot dead as he and other cops closed in on the afternoon of April 2 last on a car partly hidden in a clump of bushes at Yarowkabra, Linden-Soesdyke highway.

Less than two weeks later, Kooseram, 37, of Bladen Hall, ECD, was shot six times by a gunman as he was bicycling to work. The detective was murdered during the early hours of April 15 in what seemed like a carefully planned ambush on the Strathspey public road, a short distance from his home. Police said then, that the assailant (Cambridge) escaped into the safety of the Buxton/Friendship area.

The Annandale couple, Ramdeo Persaud, 43, and his wife Sita, 32, were shot dead around 19:30 hrs on the night of May 11 when six heavily armed bandits stormed their home in Peter Street, Annandale North, ECD. The gang burst into the business place demanding cash and jewellery and then shot the couple dead, execution style with high-powered weapons.

Rural Constable Atwell was killed by gunmen in the compound of the Alberttown Police Station, Georgetown, on May 30. Atwell was brutally killed shortly after 22:00 hrs when gunmen armed with high-powered weapons drove up outside the Alberttown Police Station in a movie-like scenario and opened a hail of gunfire. Another Policeman on duty was wounded and the building was riddled with bullet holes.

Police Constable Alleyne, 26, of 37 John Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, died on May 27 at the Georgetown Hospital. He was one of four policemen who were shot in an ambush on the night of May 25 at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara.

On June 1, bandits shot and killed a cambio cashier (Persaud) in a daring daylight robbery attack in the city.

Persaud, called 'Jack', 44, cashier at the Commerce House Cambio was killed when gunmen struck at the business place at around 09:00 hrs. The owner was critically wounded. According to Police, Cambridge was also involved in this attack.

Police on Thursday night, said that a mobile patrol which was in the area prior to the armed confrontation at about 15:30 hrs that day, had seen "a suspicious looking white motor car which attracted their attention". Shortly after, the patrol saw the car parked on a road near a house at Nabaclis, south of the former railway embankment.

The Police statement said that on approaching the car, the ranks were shot at from the house.

"The ranks returned fire and when it ended, Compton Cambridge was discovered lying on the floor of the house, mortally wounded. He had on a blue bullet proof vest", the Police statement said.

Following the death of Cambridge, the Police said a search of the house in which he and three others were holed up, revealed two bullet proof vests, fourteen 9mm Luger spent shells, four live 12 gauge cartridges, four 7.62 x 39mm spent shells, four 7.62 warheads, two 9mm warheads and a black pouch containing twenty 7.62 x 51mm rounds.

Police also said that the white motor car with registration number PHH 717 in which the men were seen earlier and which was subsequently parked in front of the house, was found abandoned about 200 yards southeast of the scene of Cambridge's death. This car was stolen earlier and its registration number then was PGG 7801.

According to the Police, the bottom portion of this car was sprayed over by the bandits.

Meanwhile, Police said that around 18:35 hrs on Thursday, criminal elements attacked two mini-buses along the Buxton main road.

The first mini-bus, BHH 4898, was taken from its driver and driven to the Company Path, Buxton road where two wheels were removed and the windshield broken, while the entire left side window and door glasses of the second mini-bus, GEE 3892, were broken.

Police said that around the same time, logs of various lengths were placed across the railway embankment road at Buxton which was recently repaired by the Guyana Defence Force after being dug up by protesters. The thoroughfare was dug again Thursday.

The logs were removed early yesterday morning and the ditches filled by Police and soldiers.

Police yesterday said that although the situation was stable, mobile patrols and other law enforcement activities were being maintained along the roads in these areas.