A source from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has confirmed that the AK-47 rifle, which was found during a police raid on Thursday, does not belong to the army.
According to the source, the serial number on the weapon does not match any of those that went missing from the GDF’s armoury.
On Thursday, a man was detained after police uncovered a number of illicit items during a search operation in Kitty. According to a police press release, 12 other men were also arrested during similar raids and they are assisting with investigations into a number of offences.
The raids were conducted on 12 houses in the Kitty, Campbellville, North, South and West Ruimveldt areas. A search on a Thomas Street, Kitty house unearthed one AK-47 rifle with a magazine and 76 matching rounds, one
9 mm Luger pistol with a magazine and 16 matching rounds, two .38 rounds, one pair of camouflage pants, one camouflage shirt, two black toque masks, two ladies’ wigs, two Motorola hand-held communication sets, one air compressor, one hand-held blow torch and a quantity of medical supplies.
Meanwhile in February last year the GDF announced the theft of 33 AK-47 rifles and six pistols from its storage bond at the army headquarters, Camp Ayanganna. They later reported that it was only 30 rifles that went missing. To date just over a dozen of the weapons have been recovered during raids, and other operations, and the majority were found in the hands of criminal elements. And a week ago one AK-47 rifle disappeared from Camp Ayanganna. Since that incident the army removed three senior officers from their posts and remanded another eight soldiers into police custody.
