Communities cooperating with Police in Puruni armed robbery
– says Home Affairs Minister

MINISTER of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, yesterday said that, with regard to the Piara Landing, Puruni armed robbery on Sunday last, two more bodies were recovered by the police as they intensify their investigations.

The communities are also cooperating with the police and there should be more developments soon.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Rohee said that in light of a recent comment made by Police Commissioner Henry Greene, more ranks would have been sent to the area to address the situation.
He added that ranks required in the interior are trained ranks, who fall under Tactical Service Unit (TSU).
Police this week added that ranks acting on information received went into another area in the Mazaruni where they arrested three suspects and recovered an Uzi Sub-Machine gun and a handgun.
They also recovered the bodies of two persons who appeared to have drowned. One is that of a suspect, while the other is that of a man wearing a Rasta hairstyle who was taken hostage by the perpetrators to drive the getaway boat.
Information received revealed that while the boat was travelling along the Mazaruni River it overturned and several persons may have drowned.
The police are still in the area pursuing three other suspects; and another man who is suspected of having transported the armed men to the Piara Landing had been earlier arrested at Piara and taken into custody.
The operation is continuing.
On Sunday last, at about 19:00hrs, eight armed bandits descended on the Piara Landing and robbed several businesses and discharged rounds, carting off cash, jewellery and raw gold.
Several Brazilian miners were robbed and injured as the gunmen began demanding valuables from a group of miners and shopkeepers in the interior location.
Wounded are Brazilian shopkeeper Benedito Docerado Oliveriera, 56, who was shot in his right hip and robbed of $1.2M and a quantity of raw gold; Brazilian Francisco Da Cruz, 44, who was shot to his right thigh and foot and robbed of $140,000; and Brazilian shopkeeper Joao De Freitas Mattos, who was shot in his right leg and robbed of $60,000.
Others robbed, but not wounded, include
Brazilian Mario Odessa Da Silva, robbed of jewels and $1.2M; Curtis Bannette, 34, robbed of $110,000 and a cell phone; and Brazilian Joao Da Conceicao, 56, robbed of $30,000. David Coates and Carlton Small were beaten about the body and treated at Bartica Hospital.

Police statistics in relation to murder and robbery under arms for the period January 01 to September 30, 2011, say that there has been a decrease of 1% in murders, with figures of 103 for the same period last year, and 102 at the end of September this year.
Thirty-nine of the murders committed this year have been of the disorderly type, while 19 were domestic related, 18 during armed robberies, and five execution-style. While the statistics show an increase of 12% in domestic related murders and 11% in disorderly murders, there has been a decrease of 44% in execution type murders and 14% in murders during armed robberies.
Robbery under arms has increased by 10%, with 618 reports up to September 30 this year, in comparison to 564 for the same period last year.  While there has been no significant change in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, there has been a 30% increase in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.