INVESTIGATIONS into the murder of a Brazilin miner, Antonio Da Silva have revealed that one of the suspects was a former employee of the deceased, acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine said.

Over 150 Brazilian nationals were reportedly employed at the mining camp located in Akaiwanna Cuyuni, Region Seven, but a number of persons reportedly got away during the ordeal on Tuesday.

According to reports, most of the suspects in custody speak Portuguese.

It was reported that between 17:45hrs on Tuesday and 02:00hrs on Wednesday morning, a gang of about six to eight men, armed with rifles and handguns and speaking a foreign language, attacked the mining camp, bound Da Silva and several of his workers and ransacked the camp.

The bandits later escorted the miner to his worksite where they removed an undisclosed amount of raw gold.

It is alleged that the bandits further took the deceased about 500 meters from the site and shot him several times and fled the area.

According to a report from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the 36-year-old Brazilian national, whose body bore several suspected gunshot injuries, was found at the mining camp.

Ramnarine said further investigations revealed that Da Silva’s licensed firearms were missing.

Initial reports had indicated that several persons were shot during the incident but investigation has ascertained that only the deceased suffered gunshot wounds and a few workers sustained minor scrapes and cuts when they fled the camp during the night.

The team dispatched from police headquarters is still in the area and is being assisted by “Friendly Forces.”

“The administration of the Force wishes to place on record its profound appreciation for the invaluable aerial assistance provided by the proprietor of a mining company, quite speedily in the early hours of the morning of Wednesday 27, last,” said the police in a press statement.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan told members of the media that the police’s response time in the mining areas is not the best because they lack assets.

He said officers have problems accessing those areas because they have huge tracks of land to cover in order to reach their destination.

He believes that All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and other equipment are needed in order to improve accessibility.