Suspect arrested over Molotov attack on Guyana coastal power station
A man has been arrested in connection with an attempted arson attack on a major power substation in Good Hope, Guyana. President Ali has vowed full prosecution of all those involved.
Arrest made after gang hurls Molotov cocktails at Good Hope substation
Guyanese authorities have detained one suspect believed to be among four men who attempted to burn down a key coastal power substation in Good Hope on November 10, caribbeanlife.com reports. The men fled after failing to cause structural damage to the facility, located roughly 15 miles east of Georgetown.
According to local police and Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), the attackers threw improvised Molotov cocktails at the substation. Had the attack succeeded, GPL warned in a statement, electricity supply to hundreds of thousands of customers across Georgetown and the southeastern Berbice region would have been severely disrupted until repairs were completed.
Authorities say the attack was part of a broader plan to sabotage critical state infrastructure and generate public terror.
On November 12, President Irfaan Ali addressed the incident directly, pledging vigorous prosecution of all those involved — including, he said, the "intellectual authors" behind the operation. "All persons implicated, including the intellectual authors, will be pursued, and where the evidence supports prosecution, the appropriate charges will be made," Ali stated. "These may include conspiracy, aiding and abetting, attempted offenses, and terrorism-related offenses, where the statutory requirements are established."
The attempted attack on the substation came within hours of a Georgetown magistrate ruling that three Venezuelan nationals charged in connection with an alleged bombing of a city petrol station last October must face trial before judge and jury in a higher court next year. That bombing, at a Mobil gas station in commercial Georgetown, left one person dead and injured several others. Police have described it as a major terrorist attack designed to cause maximum damage and harm to citizens. The motive has not been established.
Ali stated on November 12 that intelligence indicates the Tren de Aragua gang — a transnational criminal organisation recently sanctioned by the United States and other hemispheric nations under the Shield of the Americas security framework — is operating inside Guyana and would be rooted out.
"Guyana will not be allowed to become a haven for organized criminal networks, nor will violence, intimidation, or sabotage be permitted to undermine our national security, economic development or the safety of our citizens," Ali said. He added that intelligence points to "the possible existence of a centrally coordinated conspiracy intended to harm or intimidate individuals, destroy or damage public and private property, disrupt essential services and economic activity, and create disorder and undermine national security."
No further details about the arrested suspect's identity have been released by authorities.
Source: Google News GY — Crime