More than two weeks after the massacre at Bartica that left twelve dead, the Joint Services now have the first tangible bit of evidence that the gang escaped via Region 10 – a shotgun stolen from a businessman.
Operation Restore Order, which had extended to Bartica and later to the Region Ten mining community, unearthed an abandoned camp at Bucktown, Wismar five days ago that was the likely hideout of the men who rampaged through Bartica leaving a bloody trail and a community reeling in shock just weeks after eleven persons were gunned down at Lusignan.
The Joint Services in a press release last night said a 12-gauge shotgun that has been confirmed as being one of those stolen from the home of Bartica miner, Chunilall Baboolall on February 17 was found in the area surrounding the camp.
During searches at the camp, a Guyana passport and NIS card in the name of Baboolall were found along with a quantity of eating utensils, a searchlight, a green tarpaulin; a hacksaw blade, and an empty plastic water container among other articles.
Residents at Linden were in the dark last night over the findings though one resident said there were suspicions that the men might have been hiding out in the community. Bucktown was described as an isolated area that can provide the kind of cover the Bartica gang would have been seeking at the time.
Just two days ago the resident recalled that two strange men hired a taxi from McKenzie to Christianburg, which is in close proximity to Bucktown, Wismar, and upon arriving there held the driver at gunpoint. The men stripped the driver of his valuables and argued over killing him but they fled leaving the driver in his car, unharmed.
A large contingent of military personnel had descended on Wisroc, Linden shortly after the massacre at Bartica combing the area for any traces of the gang. The search was abandoned some three hours after. The Linden resident this newspaper spoke to last night said there was always a sense in the community that an adequate amount of time was not spent in the area during that very critical period.
Prior to the Joint Services entering Linden, information was received that a number of men robbed a truck that came out of the interior the day following the Bartica attack. The men took cash and jewellery from the persons in the truck but no shots were fired.
At the time, speculation was rife that the men might have been those from the Bartica massacre. But a Joint Services presence was to be established in the community with a view to preventing the gunmen from moving through the area using either river or road networks.
St Mary’s
A 75 horse power engine found drifting at St. Mary’s, a hinterland community a few miles from Bartica, had indicated that at least some of the men fled south down the river. The gunmen would have continued south to the Sheribana crossing, which is a gateway to the Guyana/Brazil border town of Lethem.
There are reported timber trails along the route heading to Sheribana that are used by persons familiar with them, trails that can lead to the Wisroc area. Other reports had suggested that the St. Mary’s boat may have been a decoy and that the men instead fled north after leaving Bartica into the Atlantic. This would mean that they allowed one of the boats to drift off in one direction while they went the opposite way.
It is estimated that between fifteen to twenty men carried out the attack at Bartica.
Source said three of the men were left to guard the river while more than ten others assaulted the community in the hour-long attack.
The police outpost was first attacked and three officers were killed while two others were seriously wounded. The gang of gunmen carted off several firearms and ammunition from two strong boxes at the outpost. CB&R Mining was then attacked and it was there the gang shot dead security guard, Irving Ferreira before escaping with 12 rifles and a quantity of gold among other items.
The other persons killed in the attack were Bartica residents Edwin Gilkes; Dexter Adrian; and policemen stationed at the Bartica Police Station, Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir and Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne and Deonarine Singh of Wakenaam; Ronald Gomes of Kuru Kururu; Ashraf Khan of Middlesex, Essequibo; Abdool Yasin; Errol Thomas of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Baldeo Singh of Montrose, East Coast Demerara, who were shot execution style at the Transport and Harbours Stelling.
