AS part of a continuing investigation into recent carjackings, police on Wednesday during an intelligence-led operation intercepted two vehicles and detained four persons in ‘A’ Division.

The vehicles chassis numbers appeared to have been tampered with and the drivers alleged that they were given the vehicles to operate by a close relative of a suspect who is currently being sought and who is the suspected mastermind of the “carjacking ring”, and another who is on remand having been charged with five counts of receiving stolen property and three counts of imitation of identification mark.

Late February, two welders, Ricky Chung,23, and Nigel Chung,42, both welders of Lot 5 Coverden, East Bank Demerara, were jointly charged for alleged carjacking activities. Police had alleged that the two men between December 17, 2017 and February 10, 2018 fraudulently used a chassis plate (number provided) on a Toyota Spacio which was originally owned by Samuel Munroe, 59, of Lot 2369 Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara. And between December 9, 2017 and February 10, 2018 the men also fraudulently used the chassis plate of a Toyota Allion originally owned by Trechel Powers, a cook of Lot 198 Eve’s View, Annandale, ECD.

The original chassis numbers of both vehicles were provided to the court. The two men had appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Crime Chief Paul Williams had in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on the matter said the breakthrough was as a result of diligent detective work and the launch of timely raids that resulted in the smashing of at least three carjacking rings across the country.

He had said too that the police would be targeting some of the vehicles that are working as taxis to see if they are legitimate in terms of their engine and chassis numbers, adding that a number of the vehicles have been linked to other crimes across the country.