Six more arrested, two vehicles recovered as probe into carjacking ring continues

The two cars, a white Allion and a silver Spacio that were recovered during yesterday’s operation. (Police photo)
The two cars, a white Allion and a silver Spacio that were recovered during yesterday’s operation. (Police photo)

Following a 10-hour operation which concluded at 3 am at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden High-way, six more persons were arrested yesterday as part of the ongoing investigation of a major carjacking ring, bringing the total number of persons in custody to 13.

The operation was conducted by ranks of ‘A’ Division.

In a press release, the police said two cars and a quantity of vehicles parts were seized during the operation.

“Two motorcars along with a canter truck which is registered to a Barr Street, Kitty resident, loaded with a shell of silver Toyota Spacio and a quantity of vehicle parts, suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, were seized and lodged,” the release said.

It is believed that the suspects are employed by an ex-policeman, who was among the other who were arrested over the weekend.

On Friday evening, seven persons, including the ex-policeman and a Vryheid’s Lust North, East Coast Demerara couple, were taken into custody after the police discovered a quantity of suspected stolen vehicles and parts.

The items were recovered at two separate locations: Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and Vryheid’s Lust North.

The police had previously said that acting on information received, ranks of ‘A’ Division swooped down on a property at Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and conducted a search that uncovered several vehicles and a quantity of parts, all suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.

At this location, the ex-policeman and four female suspects were arrested.

Meanwhile, ranks from the Major Crimes Unit arrested a couple at their Vryheid’s Lust North home after a quantity of Allion, Premio and Spacio parts, with engraved numbers, was found on their premises.

Additionally, the frames of another two vehicles were recovered by police at Swan, Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Sunday. The vehicles were completely stripped.

Stabroek News was told that all thirteen suspects remained in custody up to yesterday afternoon.

A source said that the police have since applied for an extension to further detain the seven suspects who were arrested on Saturday and it was granted. However, one of the women is said to be pregnant and is likely to be released on bail soon, the source said.

Crime Chief Paul Williams had told this newspaper on Saturday that efforts were being made to confirm if the recovered vehicles and parts were stolen property.

Towards this end, he said that measures would be put in place in this week to have the victims of carjackings and the theft of parts view what was recovered.

Williams had also noted that alterations appeared to have been made to the vehicles to change their appearances.

He had announced that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Licence Revenue Office will be assisting the police on Monday in its operation.

However, several efforts made to contact him yesterday to enquire whether such was done prove futile.

Williams had recently announced a massive countrywide operation to dismantle what he said appeared to be a “ring.”

He had said that attention would be paid to auto-body workshops, since some were suspected to be the buyers of the stolen vehicles parts.

“We are going to deal with these matters very seriously and robustly because these cars are going somewhere and we have to find out who are encouraging it because if there weren’t markets they would not have been sold,” he had said.