Police have taken note of reports in a Suriname newspaper which said that wanted man Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins was in that country and police are “hot on his tail.”
Yesterday’s edition of the Suriname newspaper de Ware Tijd (dWT) said, “It is suspected that Guyana’s most wanted criminal Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins is in Suriname and units of the Surinamese Police Force (KPS) are allegedly hot on his tail.”
No official word has been given to the local authorities however. Yesterday, a top-ranking police official told Stabroek News that a civilian contact in Suriname had spoken to a senior member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Officially, the KPS’s Information Department says it is unaware of the case. However, a source said it was possible that ‘Fineman’ may have already been arrested and that reports are being denied for safety and strategic reasons.
Meanwhile, the police source told this newspaper that the local authorities are in contact with Suriname but they are still unsure whether the reports were true. The reports are being investigated. According to the source, the GPF did not know exactly where Rawlins was suspected to be hiding. “We don’t know exactly where he is now but we have been following many leads and different sources of information,” the source said.
It was also noted that there may be some merit to the Suriname reports as police have been able to ascertain that Rawlins has been on the move. The source also said it was understood that Rawlins and other criminals go to Suriname as it is not difficult for them to cross the border. Additionally, the source said the local authorities have always had a good relationship with the Suriname authorities and if any new information is available the local cops will be informed. “However we will not discard that information unless we are able to ascertain whether the man was at some other location at the same time,” the officer said.
Stabroek News understands that the GPF did not receive any information prior to the publication of the dWT article but it has informed the Dutch authorities of its interest.
A $50M reward has been offered for information leading to Rawlins’ capture. He is suspected to be the leader of a gang that has murdered several persons and is also suspected of involvement in the Lusignan slayings.
