Following the discovery of a number of items by the police in the East Coast Demerara village of Buxton on Monday, the Joint Services are said to be working diligently to track down a gang of gunmen who may have returned to the community, a source told this newspaper yesterday.
The source who was skeptical about linking the lawmen’s two most recent finds told this newspaper yesterday that the two metal vaults and a briefcase which were stolen from the CB&R Mining Company in Bartica the night that community came under siege, had been found buried along the Makouria trail (Region 10).
The source noted that things were happening and the police were optimistic that a breakthrough was imminent.
Until now the police have not officially said where the vaults and the briefcase were found, neither have they commented on exactly where in Buxton – in a house or elsewhere – the articles including the .30 Carbine (rifle) were discovered.
Police revealed that the weapon found was one of those stolen from the Bartica Police Station.
This newspaper’s source said this revelation pointed to the possibility that fragments of the gang which had staged the daring robberies and murders may have been able to trickle past the Joint Services cordon and had returned to the village for safe haven.
Neither the police nor the army has ever commented officially on whether the ranks who were dispatched to the area on June 6 when intelligence led them to Christmas Falls, had been withdrawn from the area.
The lawmen were thought to have had the gang cornered and had assured the nation that the men would be caught.
Following the discovery of the items which included the vaults, no update on the progress of the lawmen’s search has been forthcoming.
When this newspaper visited Buxton the day the discoveries were made, residents there denied any knowledge of an exchange of gunshots.
They had noted though, an increase in the number of lawmen in the village.
This newspaper was also told that a team from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority had not been allowed to go aback of the village to inspect the dam there.
Police on Tuesday night in a statement said an operation in the Buxton backlands between Sideline Dam and Middle Walk Dam on Monday had resulted in the discovery of a .30 Carbine (rifle), 238 7.62×39 rounds, 76 .30 rounds, 2 spent 7.62×39 shells, 2 magazines for the .30 Carbine, 1 AK-47 magazine, 1 fragmentation grenade, 1 Bible, 4 camouflage hammocks, 1 machete, 1 blue tarpaulin, 2 black backpacks, 2 knapsacks, 2 pairs of boots, 2 pairs of rubber slippers, 1 toque, 1 tin CRC, 2 jars peanut butter, 2 bed sheets, 5 pants, 7 jerseys, 2 black leather belts, 1 duffle bag, 2 pairs of yellow and green slippers, 2 cellular phones (Motorola and Nokia), 1 small bottle iodine, 13 pain killing tablets, 1 large bottle baby oil, 3 toothbrushes, 1 toothbrush case, 3 tubes Colgate toothpaste and 2 bottles of deodorant.