THE police are seeking the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions on how to proceed with six persons, including two teenagers, who were found on Wednesday night in possession of an M15 rifle and 30 matching rounds.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed by police sources that the six persons are said to be miners who work in the interior of Guyana, and their ages are 16, 19, 21, 24, 34 and 45.
The police on Wednesday evening received information that a group of men were standing on a bridge near a car which was parked at Sussex and Saffon Streets in Charlestown, Georgetown.
According to reports, when the police arrived, one of the young men was holding the weapon and apparently showing it to the others, but he then placed it into a Toyota 212 motorcar that was close by.
The police approached the group of men and carried out a search on their person first, before searching the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, the ranks came upon the weapon, along with 30 matching .223 rounds.
None of the men claimed ownership of the weapon and ammunition. However, as the police were conducting their investigations, a 45-year-old man showed up and claimed ownership of the rifle. He reportedly admitted to the police that the weapon was unlicensed, and that he’d purchased it to hunt in the interior.
Sources confirmed yesterday that initial checks failed to come up with any information that the men were of interest to the police previously.
However the police have moved to carry out ballistic tests on the weapon to determine if it was ever used in any crime.
Within the last few months the police have been reporting the seizure of illegal weapons and ammunition found in the possession of persons either at their homes, vehicles or on their person.
The police continue to credit their discovery of these weapons to intelligence-led policing.

(Leroy Smith)