…group operates between Guyana, Suriname and Brazil

A PRE-meditated attack on a mining camp at the Marudi Mountains in the South Rupunun, by a gang of bandits operating between Brazil, Suriname and French Guiana, resulted in the death of a Brazilian miner and one of the gunmen on Friday night.

Reports are that sometime after 18:30 hrs on Friday, the gunmen attacked the owner of an operation, known only as “Zezao”.

The man returned fire, during the attack, killing one of the men who is said to be another Brazilian businessman, called ‘Nigong’, who has ties to the bandits. Both men died at the scene.

According to reports, the dead bandit is originally from the town of Lago da Pedra, in the state of Maranhão in Brazil. He is said to be the owner of a shop in the Marudi Mountain area and was seen in Georgetown a few weeks ago.

Previously, he operated in the Kurupung area in Region Seven. Reports are that the man may have been watching Zezao’s movements.

Persons on the ground noted that leading up to the robbery, the other gunmen crossed the Takutu River and entered the Marudi Mountains area via the Deep South Rupununi villages.
However, there are reports that some of the men involved in Friday night’s attack went into the area months earlier under the guise that they were seeking employment. It was noted that this provided them with an opportunity to monitor the miner’s movements. A witness said that some Guyanese miners may have been involved in the planning of the robbery.
It is unclear if the men managed to take any valuables from the miner.

The men are said to belong to a ‘mafia’ gang which works on behalf of drug-traffickers. They would plan robberies and travel between the three countries and access the areas easily given their remote location.

Reports are that the bandits, who were moonlighting as miners, were brought into the area via a backtrack route in the South Rupununi.

The men are said to be part of a group which killed another Brazilian miner, Antonio DaSilva, at a mining camp at Akawaina in the Cuyuni, late in September, 2017.
During that attack, an employee related that several “foreign speaking men’ invaded DaSilva’s camp and robbed the man and his workers before shooting him. They later hurried out of the area.