Police express concerns over growing gun trade across Guyana's borders
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| Published on Monday, November 17, 2008 |
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GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The Guyana police force (GPF) feels that most of the high-profile crimes in Guyana are highly organised and gangs appeared to have been hiring guns.
Guyana’s Police Commissioner Henry Greene during a media conference on Friday said based on trends of crimes, gangs that are not linked are using the same weapons
“We are not sure from whom, but they had access to quite a number of weapons, some of which were recovered,” Greene told reporters.
Although the force had success in the apprehension of gang members, Greene admitted to its failure in cracking the gun trade within the country’s borders with Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname. “We have always admitted having a difficulty in penetrating the gun group - those who are bringing weapons into this country and trading in weapons,” he said.
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| Guyana’s police Commissioner Henry Greene. GINA Photo |
“We have admitted to a difficulty in penetrating that group. We have tried all sorts of different tactics and we have not had much success in penetrating that group of persons who are bringing weapons into this country.” However, not to be daunted, the commissioner said the force is working “on something” and it hopes to get some success in this regard in the “near future.”
Greene says that the GPF is working on a plan to penetrate the gun-running gangs that are smuggling weapons into the country, an effort that failed to prevail in the past.
“We are having difficulty in penetrating the gun group, those who are bringing weapons into this country and trading in weapons,” the comissioner told journalists.
“We have tried all sorts of different tactics and we have not had much success. These guys are very careful with how they operate. But we are working on something and we are hoping to have some success.”
However, the acting Commissioner declined to say whether he believes that the gun smugglers are linked to the drug trade.
High-powered weapons such as AK-47 assault rifles began to surface in increasing numbers in the wake of the crime wave that began in 2002. The origin of many of the weapons has never been traced.
Figures released this week by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) revealed that there were 40 execution-style murders so far this year, and according to the statistics, armed robberies in which firearms were used amounted to 700, compared with 580 last year.
So far this year, the police have also recovered 126 illegal firearms, four down from last year.
These included 38 revolvers, 39 pistols, 36 shotguns, and 12 rifles -- two of which were recovered from the dead bandits Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins and Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles. One of these rifles belonged to the GDF | | | | Reads : 457 |
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