POLICE are working on new leads obtained from the two men in custody for the New Year’s Day shooting to death of a poultry vendor and his friend.

Poultry vendor, Desmond Singh called “Fix Up” was one of two persons who was riddled with bullets around 19:00 hrs on New Year’s Day at Humphrey’s Street, Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The incident is being described as a planned hit.

Singh, 34, of Lot A-1 Orange Walk, Bourda, and his friend 24-year-old Azrudeen Hussain, of Little Biaboo, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) were shot just as they were heading to the main road to get a minibus, after leaving a gamecock gambling spot.

Police confirmed that the suspects were picked up in North Ruimveldt, Georgetown after the police, acting on information swooped down on the location.

Investigators said that the 34-year-old man, who goes by the alias “Fix-up,” was shot 15 times about the body with high-powered rifles. He died at the scene while his friend, who was shot once to the neck, died on the way to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Police said based on investigations the armed perpetrators concealed their faces with handkerchiefs.

The fact that nothing was taken from the victims is one of the reasons that the police have ruled out robbery as the motive. According to one source, Singh who is a frequent visitor at the gamecock gambling spot, won a few bets on roosters earlier in the day at another location and later in the day went to the Friendship spot to continue the game. It was at the latter spot that he lost the money he won earlier in the day. Reports disclosed that after losing his money, Singh borrowed $100,000 from someone there and lost that money in bets too.

It was after losing that Singh and Hussain left to go home when they were attacked by the gunmen, who were hiding in the bushes nearby. Police believe that the 34-year-old man was the gunmen’s target and his friend just happened to be there at the wrong time.