The police force yesterday arrested 48 persons in an early morning raid in ‘Tiger Bay,’ Georgetown, in which residents said several of them were detained without explanation.
Police said 43 men and five women were arrested pending investigations, but several persons were released later in the afternoon.
In a statement, the force said ranks conducted a cordon and search operation in the Rosemary Lane (Tiger Bay) area, Georgetown, during which a quantity of electrical items, including television sets and stereo equipment, and seven motor cycles that are suspected stolen or unlawfully obtained were seized.
When Stabroek News visited the area yesterday afternoon, residents were visibly-angered by the operation. One woman related that she woke up to the sound of a pounding at her door. She said the men identified themselves as police officers and demanded access to her premises to conduct a search.
One boy, whose mother was arrested by the police, said that when police officers entered his home, they asked his mother to provide receipts for electrical items they had in their possession. “They ask fuh see the receipt for de TV and we show dem it, and then they ask fuh see the receipt fuh de computer but we ain’t had none because it come from foreign,” said the young boy.
Another young man, who was among those arrested yesterday morning, recounted his experience. The man said that he was asleep when he was awakened by the sounds of men demanding to be let into his home.
He said that after the men identified themselves as police officers, he opened the door. “They arrest me and carry me to the station. Up to now they ain’t tell me is wuh I get arrest fuh,” he said.
Several other young men who were released late yesterday afternoon also said they were not informed of the reason for their detention.
The men and several other residents lamented the way in which the operation was carried out and noted that because of the nature of their jobs, several of them would have lost a day’s pay because of their detention.
The residents said that it was not uncommon for officers to carry out such raids in the community.
