Police confirm GDF guns in Berbice arms cache
POLICE Commissioner Henry Greene confirmed, yesterday, that the two AK-47 assault rifles in the arms cache found in the possession of a man detained in Berbice, on Tuesday night, belong to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
The rifles, along with one UZ1 9mm semi-automatic pistol, one 12-gauge shotgun and three live matching cartridges were in a bulky bag the suspect was carrying at the  time he was apprehended around 22:00 h.
Greene told reporters that the Police are, currently, running checks to ascertain whether the weapons were used in other crimes.
Among other things, he said the Police are trying to match spent shells retrieved from the scene of the robbery at Nand Persaud Rice Factory on the Corentyne Coast, during which security guard Arjune Gobin, 47, of Bloomfield was shot and killed with a high-powered weapon.
In that brazen robbery, which occurred in May this year, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Rajendra Persaud also suffered gunshot injuries.
On Tuesday night, alert Police ranks intercepted the arms cache on Adelphi Public Road, Canje, while travelling in an unmarked vehicle after investigations into a report of assault.
Two men known to the Police started to run when a rank approached the duo who were on a bicycle and the one with the bag was pursued and caught while putting up a fight, in the process of which he bit two of the cops.
Meanwhile, diligent work, over the past few days, resulted in the arrest of suspects and the recovery of several illegal guns and ammunition, Greene also reported.
He said Police acted quickly and the driver of the getaway car after the robbery at Triumph, was nabbed in a trench. The vehicle was searched and a gun was taken from inside.
The swift action, coupled with help from members of the community, led to the arrest of two suspects, who robbed businessman Ramdeo Ramdin, 66, of Fourth Street, Cummings Lodge, also on East Coast Demerara, of $1.9M, a quantity of jewellery and four cellular phones at about 03:45 h on Wednesday.
The victim, who operates a grocery and beverage shop, was sleeping with other members of his family when they were aroused by the break in of their home by a man armed with a gun and a cutlass.
The bandits held the occupants at gunpoint, assaulted some of them and demanded money and jewels, which were handed over to them and they fled.
But an alarm alerted the Police as residents chased after the suspects, who were, subsequently, arrested and a .38 revolver taken from one of them.
Investigating Police are expected to lay charges shortly.