THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF), in response to a  Kaieteur News January 28 story, said that Chief of Staff Gary Best spoke to miners in the area and will, immediately, dispatch an investigative team there, headed by an Army Lieutenant Colonel and Guyana Police Force (GPF) ranks.

The press statement said the GDF asks that the mining community cooperate with the investigators, so they can get to the bottom of the allegations.
In the Kaieteur News article, it was reported that soldiers went to several mining camps at Devil’s Hole, Cuyuni (an isolated area) where they seized cannabis sativa (marijuana) from some drug pushers and smoked it after which they descended on the miners last Friday.
The group identified as soldiers demanded all the raw gold from the hapless miners most of whom were Brazilians, the newspaper said.
Meanwhile, the GDF wishes to, categorically, state that any of its soldiers found culpable of this dastardly act will face the full brunt of Court Martial proceedings or the Civil Law.
Further, the GDF intends to seek the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty.

Not authorised
The statement said the GDF assures miners of all nationalities that soldiers are not authorised to conduct any mining operations, except with the permission of the Chief Mining Officer.
“No such mining operations are, currently, authorised. In this regard, the mining community is advised that the Force will not tolerate its ranks committing offences and wishes to assure all miners that there must be no fear of recrimination by anyone in the Force.
“Any suggestion of recrimination by any serving rank must also be reported and those involved will also face the full brunt of the law,” the statement reiterated.
The GDF said it is a very serious matter and will have the full rigour of its investigations, as they are committed to making the mining community a safe zone so citizens and international investors can ply their trade peacefully.