THE emerging crime trend in Guyana is one in which women are now transporting illegal arms and ammunition.

This was revealed to the Chronicle yesterday in a telephone interview with Chief Crime Wendell Blanhum, who expressed the deep concern of the Guyana Police Force at this emerging trend.

According to Blanhum, what the Police have found is that there are several cases wherein women would be in the company of males in vehicles, and when the Police stop and search those vehicles, nothing is found. Further moves to check the males would come up empty-handed; but when attention is turned to the females, weapons are found in their possession.

Blanhum was, however, quick to point out that females are not frisked by members of Police patrols, who are most often males.

On Friday evening, the Police conducted a search on two occupants of a car in D’Urban Street, Lodge. When the police searched the male, and later carried out a search on the vehicle, nothing was found. But when the Police instructed the woman to empty her bag as part of the search, they discovered that she was carrying a pistol with nine live rounds.

The two persons were promptly arrested and were, up to late last evening, still in Police custody assisting with the investigations.

The items some women conceal are not restricted to arms and ammunition, but also include illegal substances, the Crime Chief added.

Reference was also made to women who were searched at road blocks and found to be in possession of illegal substances, while the men were carrying nothing.

Also on Friday, Police ranks recovered two high-powered weapons which were stolen from a businessman on the East Bank of Demerara, sometime ago. One of those weapons was described as an AR Rifle, and the other a shotgun. Both of the weapons had telescopes affixed to them.

The Crime Chief confirmed recovery of the weapons, and disclosed that one man was arrested and two others were being sought in connection with the recovery of the weapons.

Blanhum explained that females carrying arms, ammunition and illegal substances, or those for whom they may be working, are of the perception that the Police do not focus on women whenever they are encountered at road blocks.
He has warned that this is not the case, and has pointed to roadblocks across the country where there are female police ranks, including inspectors and other ranking officers, who are on standby to carry out searches of women whom the Police desire to search whenever they ‘roll up’ to a roadblock.

It has been suggested that with the growing trend of women now being used to transport illegal arms and ammunition, female Police ranks must now be placed on patrols. While the Guyana Police Force has a standard operating procedure that female civilians are not to be searched by male police ranks, there is no law prohibiting a male police rank from arresting a female, or inviting her down to a Police station, as is erroneously perceived by many members of the public.

By Leroy Smith