– Top Cop suspects George Lashley to be US-based financier of criminal operations here
COMMISSIONER Henry Greene said, Monday, that the Police have an ongoing link in their quest to find, in the United States (U.S.), the alleged mastermind behind the Ministry of Health 2009 fire. The Top Cop was responding to questions from the media, following the capture of wanted fugitive Colin Jones, one of the arson suspects.
Greene said they suspect George Lashley, who is thought to be living in the U.S., as the financier of the operation of Jones and his gang.
Greene confirmed that the now dead Kurt Thierens called ‘Bage’ and ‘Glasses’ was one of the main operatives and he added: “We will supply the U.S. with the current information and they will take it from there but they have all previous information of the fire and the person to whom it relates.”
As for the weapons recovered, since the Jones arrest at Linden, Greene said, while he cannot answer for the Army, they remain unidentified.
However, Police have asked for a trace on them but have not received any result yet.
Greene said Jones did mention visits to their Upper Demerara River camp, by others who are not wanted, before he was captured in the second raid, after two unoccupied camps were discovered a week before.
About the incident surrounding Jones being apprehended at Kara Kara Creek, the Commissioner said the nature of the area only allows patrols by small boats and more will have to be done in the creeks where people can have access to make hideouts.
Greene said Keith Ferrier alias ‘General’ is still at large and Police have been informed that he may be overseas but they have the names of other gang members who committed acts of terrorism at the High Court and Brickdam Police Sstation and they are, currently, searching for them.
“We will be putting out wanted bulletins for four persons shortly but we don’t have the correct names of the men, just their call names. But we have information of where they are living,” he offered.
The gang had hijacked a white ‘Dodge’ on November 4, 2009 and drove it to where it was later found burnt at Millie’s hideout along Soesdyke/Linden.

RAMPAGE
Police said about eight armed men started their rampage on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway around 00:15 h on November 4, when they kidnapped three miners, one of whom, Wodette Roberts nicknamed ‘Buck Man’, subsequently, died of suffocation.             
Some of the kidnappers journeyed to the city in the hijacked vehicle and launched their attacks on the High Court, Richard Ishmael Secondary School and Brickdam and East La Penitence Police stations.
Greene said Jones was put on an identification parade and that is one of the matters on which Police need to get closure.
He admitted that they had conducted several raids before but came up empty handed and, if needs be, persons who were previously interviewed, will be questioned again.
“We will go wherever the evidence leads,” Greene stated.
Police ventured into a bushy area of Amelia’s Ward, Linden, at 16:00 h on November 25 and recovered an AK-47 rifle, seven magazines, 198 rounds 7.62 x 39 ammunition, two pairs of handcuffs, one camouflage bullet-proof vest, a green long-sleeve overcoat, a green camouflage haversack and a Hold Bible.
While one set of ranks were dealing with that find, another patrol went to a cordoned off area after a grenade had been lobbed at them and they were engaged in an exchange of gunfire, before Jones called ‘Bunny’ was arrested with a gunshot wound on one shoulder.
Police were later led to the shallow graves of two decomposed bodies, one being that of Thierens, in the backlands of Kara Kara Creek, where there was a makeshift camp, covered with a tarpaulin, in which were two AK-47 rifles without magazines, a quantity of 7.62 x 39 rounds, a grenade, two bullet-proof vests and a number of flares.
Thierens and Jones had escaped, on November 4, 2009, from Providence Police Station, East Bank Demerara, where they wee being held for questioning about the July 17, 2009 Health Ministry fire.
The two were among nine persons who were arrested in connection with the arson.
Two fields, with about 1,800 cannabis sativa (marijuana) plants ranging from two feet to six feet in height were destroyed by the Police, last week, when they stumbled upon a 10 feet boat with a five horse power (hp) ‘Yamaha’ outboard motor in a swampy area adjoining the creek.