Some concession holders operating along the UNAMCO trail, who saw a strange Hummer in the area, believe their fellow miner Thakoor Persaud who was ambushed and gunned down on Tuesday along the trail was targeted.
Persaud, 34, of Old Road, Sara Johanna, East Bank Demerara and his employees Ravi Deobarran and Solomon Low-A-Chee were in vehicle BKK 8654 heading to a mining concession along the UNAMCO trail when they stopped to remove a tree that had fallen across the road and came under heavy gunfire. Deobarran and Low-A-Chee said they ran into the bushes and hid for hours. Upon their return they found Persaud on the ground dead.
So far there has been no word on any police operation in the area to flush out the gunmen. Deobarran and Low-A-Chee remain in police custody assisting in the investigation.
Speaking with Stabroek News several persons said they felt Persaud was specifically targeted for unknown reasons. According to one person, two days prior to the incident he and others were on the trail when they noticed a strange vehicle speeding by. He described the vehicle as a heavily-tinted enclosed Black Hummer with more than one person in it. But because of the heavy tint and the pace at which the vehicle was driving it was difficult for him to see exactly who it was.
“You know is normal to discuss some things especially when you are not accustomed to seeing it around,” the source said. “So is yesterday I been telling them man bout dis Hummer after I come out and they been telling me bout wha happen to dem men.”
Another miner then said that while he and others were heading to Ituni on Wednesday after 5 pm they crossed paths with a Hummer fitting the same description heading in the direction of Linden. He said the way the vehicle was being driven indicated that whoever was behind the wheel was not very familiar with the trail or was in a great rush.
“Is funny,” the second miner said. “Dis vehicle was seen going in deh two days before de brother get kill and then it didn’t come out back until some hours after the police dem came out with the body and dem men. Something ain’t right! But I ain’t have nothing further to say because this thing deep. It left up to the police to do their ting and find out what they gat to find out. We ain’t getting involve.
“That bush is where we make our living and everybody does mine their own business. You have one and two persons on other concessions that you would know personally but that is one place most people usually mind their own business. But we can’t help but wonder because this thing happen so ‘mud-up’.”
According to Persaud’s wife he was originally scheduled to travel to the area on Sunday last.
According to the men they were aware that Persaud had a mining operation along the trail as he was seen on numerous occasions with his men in the area. They said they were not sure of the exact location of his operation but knew him to have had an authentic operation. Persaud had been charged in May 2007 in connection with the discovery of cocaine in fish glue. He was later exonerated.
Stabroek News learnt that on Wednesday, a worker was heading out of a concession where he works with the hope of hitching a ride to Kwakwani to get supplies. He said that he got a ride on a DPL truck and when they reached “28 kilometres Old Cattle Trail, approximately 10 km past the Variety Woods operation,” they came upon a fallen tree across the road. Unaware of the three men’s ordeal, he said, they moved the tree and continued their journey. He said it was not until they got out of the area that they learnt of the incident and were told that the police had already taken out the body. “But why did they lef deh tree lying cross the road!” he exclaimed.
The group of men said while they are not afraid to return on the trail, they would rather wait a few days before doing so.
