Army/Police seize radios, military-type equipment
Two foreigners among four held
Stabroek News
August 13, 2002
Four persons, including a Surinamese and a Brazilian, were yesterday arrested on the Corentyne in an army/police operation and sophisticated radios, military-type equipment and immigration stamps were seized.
A statement from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) yesterday said the arrests came as Operation Tourniquet - its exercise with the police - intensifies activities to identify criminals who have been attempting to purchase army kit and equipment.
The arrests also came in the wake of the detention of four members of the GDF on Friday and Saturday over the sale and attempted sale of weapons. Those arrests led to yesterday's operation.
An army source had told this newspaper on Sunday that the GDF was tracking down a Berbice businessman to whom one of the four had sold an M70 weapon which was stolen from the army on August 3.
A Lance Corporal, one of the four soldiers under arrest, had furnished the GDF with the businessman's telephone number and the GDF then contacted the police and they swooped on the businessman's Berbice home yesterday and made the arrests.
A release from the GDF listed those arrested as, Mohamed Shahuruddin also called `Plantain' of Lot 168, Albert Street, Number 79 Village, Corriverton, Salim Bacchus, of 138 Line Path D, Corriverton, Amanda Sireli-Dos, a Brazilian national and Sockhia Yohen, a Surinamese national. Both of the foreign nationals were found at the home of Bacchus. Bacchus is the brother of Azad Bacchus, a notorious criminal who was shot and killed earlier this year during a Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad operation.
At the home of Bacchus, ranks also found and seized a 3-VHF base station radio, a 1-VHF base station radio, nine hand-held radios, five cellular phones, one night vision goggles, one Silva navigation map plotter, one blank Republic of Suriname passport, one Guyana pass port #0958738 issued to Neil Chasawa, one Netherlands passport issued to Ricardo Doekhi, one Suriname immigration stamp, one Suriname Nickerie stamp, one date stamp, and eight packs of firecrackers.
The release did not say what caused the arrest of Shahuruddin.
According to the release the arrests come in the wake of a foiled attempt to steal two assault rifles and 30 rounds of ammunition from the Coast Guard on August 9 which led to four soldiers of that unit being taken into custody.
Stabroek News was told that the three privates were arrested last Friday soon after they returned from a patrol at Annandale and an AK-47 and an M70 were found underneath the mattresses of two of the soldiers while a fully loaded magazine with thirty live rounds was found in a cupboard assigned to the other rank.
After the three were arrested one of them informed GDF ranks that he had stolen an M70 weapon and given it to the Lance Corporal who organised the sale. The Lance Corporal was arrested at his Lilendaal, East Coast Demerara home on Saturday.
The release yesterday said that an inspectorate team which was set up to ensure that units conform to Force Security Standards and which unearthed a missing M70 rifle at the Coast Guard has since completed visits to most bases and locations of the force and has since confirmed general compliance with Standing Operational Procedures for the security of weapons.
According to reports the items found in Bacchus' house were handed over to the police while the four are being held at Eve Leary as investigations continue.
Stabroek News was informed yesterday that investigation into the incident will soon be completed and the four soldiers will be courtmartialled.
During the court martial, which is held at a court in the Camp Ayanganna compound, the soldiers will be charged and they would be given the opportunity to secure the services of a lawyer. This newspaper was told that the ranks could secure the services of any lawyer and should they fail to do so one would be provided for them by the GDF.
A GDF prosecutor will be appointed and evidence will be given before a panel of judges who would also be identified by the GDF. After the evidence is presented the panel of judges will then arrive at a decision. Their recommendation would then be forwarded to the Chief of Staff who would have to make the final decision.