Another stolen AK-47 found
- authorities seek army Captain
Kaieteur News
March 15, 2007
Members of the Joint Services yesterday recovered another of the stolen AK-47s in one of the most unlikely places, an apartment building on Church Street, South Cummingsburg.
Shortly after midday, the ranks comprising members of the Guyana Defence Force and police swooped down on a two-storey house at Lot 190 B Church Street (situated between Camp and Waterloo Streets), and conducted a search.
A release said that the operation was mounted based on information obtained.
During the operation a search of an apartment in the upper flat of the building unearthed an AK-47 rifle with part of its butt sawn off.
The weapon was subsequently confirmed as one of the weapons that disappeared from the army headquarters, Camp Ayanganna in February last year.
Five occupants of the property, among them three women, were taken into custody, but investigators are trying to apprehend an army officer who frequented the property.
The persons arrested have reportedly denied knowledge of the weapon.
Kaieteur News understands that the officer who carries the rank of Captain may be out of the jurisdiction and efforts are being made to locate him.
There are reports that the officer in question has been out of the country for more than a month.
The discovery of the weapon and the implication for the army captain now shed new light that an internal conspiracy at a high level in the military was involved in the removal of the weapons.
During yesterday's operation an entire block in South Cummingsburg was cordoned off and onlookers stopped and looked on curiously, trying to ascertain what had led to the daytime operation.
Except for persons who were working and/or living in the immediate area no one was allowed to enter the cordon, which was eventually removed shortly before 18:00 hours.
A Joint Services release said that the operation is ongoing and details would be forthcoming as the investigation unfolds.
At last Thursday's Army Officers' Conference, Chief of Staff Edward Collins had stated that the recovery of the remaining missing assault rifles will remain on the organisation's radar since all efforts to re-establish calm in the society would come to naught if the weapons are not found.
This is the first time this year that one of the missing weapons has been recovered.
Last year, the army recovered 13 of the missing weapons, most of them from the possession of criminals.
Eight of the weapons were recovered from bandits who had robbed two commercial banks in Berbice, while another was recovered from the body of a bandit who was found floating in a trench at Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara after an attack on two homes in the area.
Two of three weapons found buried in a plot of land on the West Coast of Berbice belonged to the army. But before that discovery, one was recovered in a clump of bushes between Melanie Damishana and Enterprise.
Another weapon was recovered from slain gunman Anthony ‘Kussum' Charles, and one more was found when alleged Victoria killer Cyon ‘Picture Boy' Collier was held in a house at Bachelor's Adventure on the East Coast of Demerara.
Meanwhile, the Defence Board is yet to pronounce on a report on the missing weapons that was presented to it almost two months ago.
President Jagdeo had announced that the Defence Board was in receipt of the report and was studying the document.
The Defence Board is expected to meet soon and it is expected that the document will be among the top priorities for discussion.