Following the Joint Services’ announcement last week that they had found an abandoned camp used by the Bartica gunmen at Bucktown Wismar, Lindeners have started to recollect seeing strange men whom they mistook for army ranks because they were dressed in military fatigues.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night the Joint Services said that five days earlier they had located an abandoned camp at Bucktown Wismar which was the likely hideout of the men who slaughtered 12 persons at Bartica. The release also said a 12-gauge shotgun recovered in the camp had been confirmed as being one of those stolen from the home of Bartica miner, Chunilall Baboolall on February 17.
In addition, a Guyana passport and an NIS card in the name of Baboolall had been 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, the release said. Since that initial statement the Joint Services have released no further information on their discovery or any pictures in relation to it.
This newspaper spoke with several persons living in and around Wismar who reported seeing strange men, although they hadn’t found them suspicious.
A Linden taxi-driver told this newspaper that one night he was taking home a passenger to Blue Berry Hill, and decided to use the back road, which is close to where the Joint Services said they found the camp.
After he reached the destination, the man advised him not to take the same route home, or drive there at night since the area was “hot.” The man said he didn’t make much of the warning, but took his advice and did not drive in the area. It was only after the publication of the report on the servicemen’s find that he understood his passenger’s words.
One woman said that she and her friends had gone to the Bucktown Creek one day and had noticed a number of men in the water having a bath. Some of them appeared to be strangers since they had never seen them before in the community. The woman said she asked her friends whether any of the faces were familiar, since the men appeared to be in a group.
She said about two of the men, whom she was unable to describe since she hadn’t paid them too much attention, started to look at her and noticing their glances, she and her friend decided to leave. “No one never really say anything because it’s not like these men were known to the community, but because they had on army uniform nobody didn’t worry to get suspicious,” she said.
Another resident said he may have noticed the men but like everyone else, paid them little or no attention since after the killings in Bartica, the army had upped its presence around the country.
“I saw them, but I know since Linden is one of the routes they could have possibly come through, I say them boys probably just start combing through the area just in case they come through this side, not knowing that these may have been gunmen,” he told this newspaper.
Another source in the community said after the Joint Services announced that they had found what seemed to be an abandoned camp, many Wismar residents became concerned and some even decided to stay in their homes after dark. However, by the following day the situation had returned to some level of normality.
A large contingent of military personnel had descended on Wisroc, Linden, shortly after the killings at Bartica combing the area for any traces of the gang. The search was abandoned some three hours later.
One Linden resident this newspaper spoke to last night said there was a sense in the community that not enough time had been spent in the area during that very critical period.
Prior to the Joint Services entering Linden, information had been received that a number of men had robbed a truck coming 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. However, a Joint Services presence was established in the community with a view to preventing the gunmen from moving through the area using either river or road networks.
It is estimated that between fifteen to twenty men carried out the attack at Bartica.
Sources said that three of the men were left to guard the river while more than ten others mounted an hour-long attack on the community.
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.
