A Joint Services operation near Alness, Corentyne yesterday recovered the army’s AK 47 rifle which went missing last year December and two men were nabbed in what sources say was a deal to sell the weapon for $80,000.
The loss of the AK 47 had resulted in a shake-up of the base command structure at Camp Ayanganna and the alleged torture of several soldiers who were implicated in the theft of the weapon.
In a statement, the Guyana Defence Force yesterday said that at about 6 am, acting on information, a Joint Services team was deployed to Berbice to investigate the loss of the AK 47 rifle.
The team, in their effort, arrested two persons in the Corentyne area. According to the statement further information confirmed that the weapon was hidden in the Adventure seaside area and ranks proceeded to the area led by one of the arrested persons and the weapon was recovered at about 3:30 pm yesterday at the side of a trench wrapped in plastic and strapped by electrical wire.
The rifle was also submerged in water, the army statement said, adding that the weapon, Serial no. 410418, was lodged at the Albion Police Station.
“Investigations are continuing to determine the movement of the weapon since its disappearance, and those who facilitated its removal,” the statement said, adding that the Joint Services wished to thank those persons who would have assisted in providing critical information that led to the recovery.
Meanwhile, police in Berbice unaware of the operation to recover the weapon had responded to reports from residents that a man was kidnapped by gunmen. They were later told that it was the Joint Services who had made the arrest. Stabroek News was told that an army reservist residing at Eversham on the Corentyne Coast had reportedly stolen the weapon from the army last November and together with an ex-policeman, arranged the sale of the rifle for $80,000. Sources said the man who confessed to purchasing the weapon led police to a clump of bushes where it was stashed.
The man who arranged the sale is said to be a former member of the Guyana Police Force who was interdicted from duty after being charged with stealing a horse.
The man according to reports was picked up at his Alness, Corentyne home at around 9:30 am yesterday by the members of the Joint Service.
After he was arrested his family contacted ranks at the Whim Police Station and officers there quickly informed the Tactical Services Unit at the Albion Station of what they thought was a kidnapping.
Sources say there was mass confusion and panic in the area and the roads in the area were blocked off. Parents started to collect their children from schools and there was a lot of tension.
The Joint Services ranks were later intercepted in a vehicle during a roadblock exercise.
It was at this point that the police in Berbice were made aware of what was taking place.
Michael Dunn, Sharth Robertson, Alvin Wilson and several soldiers were allegedly tortured by members of the Military Criminal Investi-gation Department over the missing rifle. The rifle was assigned to Robertson who along with Wilson is still being held by the army. Last month the military commenced court martial proceedings against Warrant Officer Torrington who was the base sergeant major at the time of the loss of the weapon.
A series of events had occurred following the loss of the single rifle with several officers being relieved of their duties and some being handed over to the police during investigations.
Following the disappearance of the weapon on December 2 last year the GDF announced that it had removed several officers from their posts and remanded another eight soldiers into police custody.
A number of soldiers had been reduced in rank as a result of the incident while some salaries were cut.
The loss of the AK 47 was seen as a major embarrassment to the new GDF high command coming in the wake of the shocking disappearance of 30 of these weapons the previous year and a shake-up in the GDF hierarchy. (Shabna Ullah)
