Trinidadian Joseph Aboud, accompanied by a prominent lawyer, yesterday turned himself over to the police for questioning into the recent Regent Street arms bust, but the other two men wanted in connection with the discovery remained at large up to press time.
Stabroek News understands that the 31-year-old contacted the lawyer early yesterday morning saying that he had just returned from the interior and wanted to turn himself in.
He was advised that that was the best course of action and around 12.30 pm, accompanied by the lawyer, he went to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Head-quarters, Eve Leary, where he was detained after being processed.
Up to press time yesterday, Aboud, whose local address was given as 355 Cummings Street, Albert-town, was still in custody being grilled in connection with allegations of illegal importation of firearms and ammunition.
Police last Friday issued wanted bulletins for Aboud, businessman Clayton Hutson and 23-year-old Frankie Ross for questioning with regard to the cache of high powered guns, a large quantity of ammunition and other articles found in a barrel under a house at Lot 120 Regent Street, Bourda.
There has been no further word on the status of the three women who were initially arrested but released on station bail on Sunday. As a condition of their release, the women are to report to the police regularly. According to sources, the investigation was still in progress and it would be difficult at this stage to determine if charges would be brought against the women, who have all repeatedly denied any knowledge of the barrel’s contents.
There are suspicions that the weapons were recently imported and were just being temporarily stored at the house. Stabroek News was told that ballistics tests were completed and showed that the weapons were not used in the commission of any crime here.
Ross, who is a close relative of the three women, is said to be the owner of the barrel though he does not reside at that address. Police had also searched the home of Aboud but found nothing.
While Ross is not well known to investigators, the other two are and would be seen around the city frequently.
Police, in a release issued last Thursday, said they had searched the Lot 120 Regent Street, Bourda, house around 6.30 pm on Wednesday. There they had discovered an AK-47 rifle with the number filed off, a pistol with a silencer, a Mossberg shotgun, 713 rounds of ammunition of various calibre, 7 magazines for different firearms, a green camouflage water bottle and a green canvas pouch in a barrel.
Sources had told this newspaper that the army had first descended on the home and discovered the illegal items. After removing the items, they contacted the police who later removed the barrel from the premises.
In the bulletin, police said that 44-year-old Hutson’s last known address was Lot 50 New Hope, East Bank Demerara. He has a mole on the bridge of his nose and is 5 ft, five ins tall.
Hutson, who is the owner of several businesses, had been before the court on several occasions.
Ross is five ft five ins tall. His place of abode is unknown, police said.
