Army revamping investigative team in search for missing AK-47s
Kaieteur News
January 8, 2007
The Guyana Defence Force top brass is revamping the army's investigative team in a bid to recover the rest of its stolen AK-47 assault rifles, which are believed to be in the hands of dangerous criminal gangs.
Reliable sources revealed yesterday that plans are already in place to restructure the team which was established after the high-powered weapons disappeared.
The restructuring is likely to be completed in another two weeks.
Kaieteur News understands that army officials are dissatisfied with the team's results in recovering the remaining weapons and tracking down the culprits.
While the Joint Services have recovered 13 of the high-powered weapons and prosecuted some army ranks, investigators have been unable to implicate the masterminds behind the theft.
The weapons disappeared from the army's Camp Ayanganna base late February 2006.
Army investigators detained several ranks after the theft was uncovered, some of whom were charged.
Some of the assault rifles began to turn up after intensive investigations by members of the Joint Services.
The first was found in an area between Melanie Damishana and Enterprise , East Coast Demerara.
More were recovered last August from eight bank robbers who were killed following the daring Rose Hall banks heist.
Two others were found on the West Coast of Berbice, while another was allegedly recovered from Cyon Collier, called ‘Picture Boy', who was captured on October 3, 2006 at Bachelor's Adventure, East Coast Demerara.