Could they be from Fineman gang?
Gunmen yesterday morning hijacked and robbed a bus-load of passengers travelling from Aroaima to Linden on the Aroaima trail and forced the driver to take them to a destination unknown.
Police later arrested a teenager who they believed was part of the gang, but up to press time last night there had been no sighting of the others who hijacked the minibus. There are concerns that these men could be those who escaped with Rondell Rawlins from Christmas Falls after a surprise police attack on June 6.
In a statement last evening the police said that during yesterday they received a report that at around 4:30 am a number of armed men stopped a mini-bus which was en route from Aroaima to Linden on the Aroaima Trail. The armed men robbed the passengers, the exact items are yet to be ascertained, after which they took the passengers out of the vehicle and ordered the driver to take them to an unknown destination. The driver was later released, the police added.
Meanwhile, a source close to the driver of the minibus, who was up to press time last night assisting Kwakwani police in their investigations, told Stabroek News that the minibus with number plate BGG 501 had left the Aroaima compound at about 3 yesterday morning heading for Linden but returned at about 9:45 with the same passengers. When approached by persons in the compound, the driver and passengers started to relate the story of the hold-up.
The source told Stabroek News that while on the trail, a teenager who appeared to be not older than 14 years old stopped the bus and pretended to be joining it when a group of other men approached the bus. The source said all the men were decked out in army-type clothing and wore bulletproof vests. The source said among items taken from the passengers, who included bauxite company workers and two babies, were their cellular phones and identification cards.
They were also warned not to provide any identifying information to the police.
The source was not able to establish whether the gunmen had joined the bus and whether its driver had indeed been forced to carry them to an unknown destination.
However this newspaper was also told that a truck which appeared to have had some mechanical problems and had broken down was parked some distance away from where the men stopped the bus.
The incident caused a huge reduction in traffic in the area yesterday and a well-placed source stated that usually six buses would make trips in and out, but this was not the case yesterday as word of the incident spread. Only one bus reportedly plied the route yesterday.
Stabroek News was told that the men could be well on their way out of the interior. Security officials had insisted that the Christmas Falls men were cornered in dense jungle. Police and the army have reportedly rushed up reinforcements to add to those who went into the forested area over the weekend to strengthen their fight against the gunmen.
According to the law enforcement authorities, ranks subsequently arrested a male at Ituni, Upper Demerara thought to be the youth who had flagged down the bus. He is alleged to be a member of the Rawlins’ gang which had been intercepted at Christmas Falls, Berbice River, the police said.
Meanwhile speaking to Stabroek News earlier in the day, Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene said that the man arrested at ituni is a teenager. Stabroek News understands that he has since admitted being part of the criminal gang. He was reportedly walking along a track, when joint services ranks arrested him.
On June 6 members of the joint services responding to intelligence reports that Rawlins and his men were hiding out at Christmas Falls some 300 miles up the Berbice River, descended on the forested area. Once there they came under fire from around seven men, one of whom was Otis Fifee who was shot and killed. The other six men, including Rawlins however managed to escape leaving behind a cache of arms and ammunition, some of which has been confirmed by police as having been stolen from the Bartica Police station the night that community came under siege by gunmen. The security forces had also discovered that the men were housed in an area with four buildings. They had foodstuff to last several weeks in a large kitchen, which also had a gas stove, generator and solar energy. In addition, there were six portable tents, four hammocks, three mattresses, a mini-stereo system, a DVD player, a cell phone, a hand-held radio set, clothing, medical supplies and a Bible.
Greene also told this newspaper that the hunt for Rawlins and other gunmen who eluded capture two Fridays ago is ongoing, expressing optimism that the criminals would be caught. On Sunday police nabbed Royden Durant, who is charged with the murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal Ivor Williams. Durant was captured by police at Sophia, Greater Georgetown on Sunday afternoon. Durant, along with Sherwin Nero, known as Shawn Moses and ‘Catty’ of Dennis Street, Sophia, Cecil Simone Rambarran called ‘Uncle Magic’ and ‘Limpy’ and Rawlins have been charged for the January 23 killing of Williams. Nero appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday and was remanded while arrest warrants were issued for the others. A police press release said that around midday Sunday ranks arrested 20-year-old Durant in a Sophia house. Police said that he was also wanted for questioning in a number of other murders which are under investigation.
