Guyana police examine various angles in AK-47 trafficking investigations
Senior law enforcement officials are looking into different possibilities regarding how military-grade rifles are being moved through the country, with one line of inquiry pointing toward cross-border criminal networks.
Guyana police examine various angles in AK-47 trafficking investigations
Senior law enforcement officials are actively looking into different possibilities regarding how military-grade rifles are being moved through the country, the nation's second-highest-ranking police officer has disclosed.
Wendell Blanhum, who serves as both Crime Chief and Deputy Commissioner, indicated that detectives are weighing various scenarios based on tips received, surveillance data, and material proof, as reported by Kaieteur News.
While Blanhum did not elaborate on the specific angles being pursued, press reports have floated the idea that the firearms could be passing through Guyanese territory en route to armed factions in neighbouring Venezuela. This hypothesis emerged following the arrest of a 27-year-old Venezuelan man found with two dozen AK-47s during a roadside stop on the West Bank of Demerara.
Jonathan Gans was taken into custody after officers from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit pulled over a car carrying the weapons and corresponding rounds. Two other occupants escaped during the operation.
Authorities later published notices seeking two additional individuals: a shopkeeper named Randy Jagdeo and a man identified as Orlando Gabriel. Jagdeo presented himself to detectives on Sunday and was placed under arrest. Gabriel had not been located by the time the story was published.
The shopkeeper has a prior record of brushes with the law. Roughly a year ago, he was accused of encouraging acts against the state over remarks made online and signage at his business. He secured release on bond in that matter. A decade earlier, he had also been tried for homicide but walked free when the case against him collapsed.
An opposition political grouping, the Alliance For Change, issued a public statement attempting to connect Jagdeo to the governing party and questioning why no disciplinary action had been taken. The organisation also referenced an earlier weapons find in Berbice last month, noting that citizens still lack a complete picture of how those guns surfaced.
The party emphasised that matters involving high-powered weaponry demand impartial scrutiny, regardless of any political ties those implicated may hold.
Source: Kaieteur News