— by intelligence-driven operations — crime chief

CRIME Chief Paul Williams has said that diligent detective work and the launch of timely raids have resulted in the smashing of at least three carjacking rings across the country.

“Coming into the latter quarter of 2017, somewhere in early November late October, there would have been several reports as it relates to carjacking issues. That of itself would have really created a serious level of concern for the nation and also the Guyana Police Force (GPF). In that regard, we started as much as possible to obtain information which we processed and brought into Intelligence. That information is now giving us the fruits of our successes, in terms of the carjacking rings that are being broken,” he told the Department of Public Information (DPI) in a recent interview

According to Williams, recent operations on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara have resulted in more than a dozen persons being arrested and placed in police custody.
“Now we may have maybe about 15 persons countrywide in terms of our operations. However, ‘A’ Division would have gotten the most, because if you really follow the [reports] out of Soesdyke and Kuru Kuru, they would have had numerous persons. We also now target some of the vehicles that are working as taxis to see if they are legitimate in terms of engine and chassis numbers.”

In addition, Williams said a number of the vehicles have been linked to other crimes across the country.
The crime chief pointed out that no charges have been laid, since the investigations are extensive and must include verification of registration and vehicles by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). He, however, expects charges will be instituted shortly.

“In some of our early breakthroughs, some of the vehicles were linked to armed robbery in Linden on Old Year’s Day; vehicles were linked to armed robbery on the East Coast in the vicinity of Better Hope area and vehicles were also linked to armed robberies somewhere on the Rupert Craig Highway, just in the vicinity of the Russian Embassy — where a person was robbed and a vehicle taken.”

According to Williams, citizens who have had their vehicles stolen or hijacked in the past are asked to make contact with the police to ascertain ownership of those retrieved.
“We were able to retrieve a number of vehicles and a number of accessories; some of them still carrying the numbers of the vehicle on them. As a result of that, we want to open to the public and have [them] come in to check out those accessories and vehicles.

There are some chassis too, so, let them come and check them out and see if there is anything in effect that can match the registration that they may still have in their possession for those vehicles that were being stolen or missing from them.”

MASTERMIND
On Thursday, this newspaper reported that a Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown resident, who is suspected to be the mastermind behind the carjackings, is being sought by the Guyana Police Force.

Investigators last night swooped down on his premises and conducted a search during which, the ranks found a black Mazda Axela motor car with licence number PTT 2794, along with 12 certificates of registration for various vehicles, including some that were seized from the home of an ex-policeman who is currently in custody.

A 52-year-old female was found at the residence and has been taken into custody.
The woman’s name was found on two of the seized vehicles registration. On Wednesday, two persons were arrested and four vehicles suspected to have been stolen were seized during a police operation at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

A party of cops commanded by a senior officer proceeded to a location at Yarrowkabra and found a black Toyota Premio, PMM 6979, which is suspected to have been stolen.

Shortly after, the police went to another location in Yarrowkabra and arrested a 39-year-old taxi driver on whose premises two ‘dirt’ bikes (a red and black Honda Tornado and a CRF Honda 150) suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, were found.

As the search continued, a 22-year-old taxi driver of Chand Sand Road, Timehri, was apparently alerted to the police’s operation and quickly handed over to the police at Timehri, a beige Toyoto Spacio motor car, PPP 82, which he alleged was given to him to work as taxi since last Thursday by a named individual.

That person is now in police custody, along with the taxi driver. The vehicles are lodged at the Brickdam Police Station as investigations continue.

Earlier this week, police ranks in ‘A’ Division conducted a 10-hour operation, which ended at 03:00hrs in the morning at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and six persons were arrested.

Two motorcars, along with a canter truck which is registered to a Barr Street, Kitty resident, loaded with the shell of a silver-coloured Toyota Spacio and a quantity of vehicle parts, suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, were also seized and lodged.

The suspects are reportedly employed by an ex-policeman, who is in custody along with others assisting with the investigation.

On Friday last, a former policeman, a husband and wife and four women, were taken into custody following the discovery of several suspected stolen vehicles and parts at North Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara and Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

It is believed that the vehicles might have been hijacked and stripped of their parts, which are being sold. Police ranks from the Major Crimes Investigation Unit swooped down on the North Vryheid’s Lust premises occupied by a 29-year-old taxi driver and his 25-year-old wife and found several car mirrors with engraved licence plate numbers, doors, lights, wipers and other vehicle parts for Toyota Allion, Spacio and Premio motor cars.

As a result, the couple was taken into custody after the husband provided the police with conflicting stories as to why the suspected stolen vehicle parts were stockpiled at his residence.

Meanwhile, on the aforementioned day, the ex-policeman and four women were detained after police ranks in ‘A’ Division went to a property at Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, and conducted a search during which a quantity of vehicle parts and several vehicles suspected to be stolen or unlawfully obtained, were found.

The items have been lodged at the Timehri Police Station.