-masked men escape with $37M in raw gold, police say

POLICE are currently on the hunt for two men in connection with the murder of two gold miners who were killed on Sunday morning, after leaving their Arimu Backdam, Cuyuni River mining camp, with $37 million in raw gold.

Dead is Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff, a 50-year-old of Byderabo Road, Bartica and Donvan Washington, a 26-year-old porter of Lot 11 Seventh Avenue, Bartica.

According to the police, the suspects, two masked men on a Red ATV, allegedly carted off with 102 ounces of raw gold valued at $37M and two licensed firearms (a .32 pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun) belonging to Sheriff.

Sheriff is the owner of a six-inch land dredge operation at Arimu Backdam.

Investigations so far revealed that, on the day in question, about 10:00 hrs, Sheriff left his camp with Washington on an ATV, en route to Bartica, after a wash down.

The General Manager for Sheriff’s operation, Joel Stephen, 39, told police that, about five minutes after his boss left camp, he heard several loud explosions which he suspected to be gunshots.

“He went to make checks in the area and about 500 metres away from the camp Stephen found both deceased men lying in the trail with gunshot injuries about their bodies. He also observed that both of Sheriff’s firearms and the gold were missing. He later made a report to the Bartica Police Station,” the police release said.

Sheriff’s body was examined and what appeared to be gunshot injures were found to his right upper chest, upper right thigh, upper right arm and to his left upper back.

Washington’s body was also examined and wounds were seen to his lower abdomen, left chest, left shoulder, left hand, left elbow along with four circular wounds to right thigh, two to left thigh and one to his back.

The scene was processed and one .32 magazine with eight live matching rounds, seven 9MM spent shells and three .32 spent shells were found.
Police investigations are ongoing.