ONE of three men, who have been operating a thriving car parts theft ring are in police custody following  swift action and cooperation by the residents of Cottage, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara early Monday morning. A victim, Monica Chisholm, 54, of Cottage, Mahaicony told the Guyana Chronicle that she woke up as a result of severe pains at about 01:30hrs and after using the bathroom she heard noises.
The woman also heard voices which she recognised as her neighbours saying that thieves were in her yard but by the time she could act the men had already scaled her fence and went into the other neighbours’ yard where they were confronted by a group of angry residents.
The thieves had already removed all the front lights of her son’s car which was parked next to hers under their house.
Chisholm added that the 14-year-old boy was captured by villagers but his two cronies managed to escape and after some intense questioning the teen admitted that the men, who operate via a car or a canter truck, all family members, hail from Annandale, also on the East Coast Demerara.
He was however, handed over to the police at Mahaicony Police Station where he tried to escape from lawful custody but was apprehended by the lawmen who discharged a round in order to stop him. However, none of the stolen car lights were retrieved from the teen.
The teen, Shameer Mohamed said that the gang also includes his grandfather and uncles but it is he and his uncles who do the stripping of the vehicle parts while his grandfather sells the stolen items.
It was the same teen, who was caught by residents of Parika, East Bank Essequibo earlier this year and beaten when he was discovered removing parts from several vehicles.
For sometime residents have suffered severe losses after their vehicles including, trucks were stripped of vital parts and up to last week three cars were also stripped of their lights and other parts, by the same gang, who begin working in the wee hours of the morning when almost everyone is asleep.
Chisholm was however, thankful to the villagers and the police, who assisted her in the capture of one of the suspects.
The two others managed to escape in a white car and when she telephoned the Mahaica Police Station to ask the police to set up a road block she was told by a lone rank that he was alone and as such could not assist.
The police said they are investigating.