– ‘Bully’ others ‘ambushed patrol’, cop injured
Joint service officers shot and killed the alleged mastermind of the spate of gun crimes at Bartica and two of his gang members yesterday during an early morning operation at Arimu backdam, Cuyuni; a third gang member who was reportedly wounded, escaped.
The gang reportedly ambushed the officers when they went into the area, opening fire and hitting a policeman identified as Lance Corporal Isaacs. Isaacs sustained a gunshot injury to his right forearm and was said to have escaped further injury because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Dwayne Marks called ‘Bully’, 25, of Bartica, who was known to the police, was identified among the dead gunmen. He was said to have orchestrated the string of recent criminal attacks in the community that led to Regional Chairman Holbert Knights calling for increased and active law enforcement at Bartica.
Police named Antwan Singh called ‘Deportee’, 35, of Linden and Gavin Gray called ‘Sweet Eyes’, 27, of Bartica as the other two gunmen who were shot dead.
Marks was recently before the courts on a charge of discharging a loaded firearm and simple larceny. He was out on bail. He was also a suspect in the murder of gas station owner Brandis Roberts who was found in his home with marks of violence to his body on November 20, 2008.
A police press release issued yesterday afternoon said the joint services officers were responding to a report of an armed robbery at the backdam when they came under fire on the Arimu trail. Police said two.38 revolvers along with eight rounds and one .32 pistol with six matching rounds were recovered from the dead gunmen.
While the police made no mention of the fourth man who escaped Stabroek News has been reliably informed that there was a fourth gunman, and that joint services officers were combing the backdam in search of him.
According to the police, the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) that was stolen from Brazilian miner Osmar Oliveira Da Silva, and which was in possession of the gunmen, was also recovered. Da Silva had been attacked in his camp at Arimu backdam on February 18, by two men armed with firearms and two women.
Da Silva was in his camp along with another Brazilian when they were confronted by the perpetrators. The robbers took Da Silva’s ATV. Da Silva tried to resist his attackers and was shot in his left leg by one of the men. The robbers then escaped on the ATV.
Additionally, the police said yesterday that a resident of Bartica who was the victim of an armed robbery at Mongrippa Hill, Bartica, on February 2, has identified a cell phone found on the body of Gray as his property which was stolen during the robbery.
Miners, particularly Brazilians have been attacked within the past few days, and according to informed sources at Bartica the attacks have been more frequent than reported.
Stabroek News was told yesterday that police at Bartica had information on the gang and that several attempts were made to capture them, none successful. However, the police received information late Friday night that the men were spotted at Arimu backdam and a team was mobilized.
Sources said that a heavily armed joint services patrol left Bartica for the Arimu backdam just before midnight. This newspaper was told that the police had some intelligence as to the gang’s exact location but when they got there the men ambushed them.
It is believed that Marks might have been alerted about the joint services operation and organized the ambush, but the police reportedly outnumbered the gang. The operation lasted for about 30 minutes.
Mixed emotions
As the bodies of the men were transported into Bartica yesterday the atmosphere was one of sorrow and relief, some lamenting the fall of their “own” while others openly thanked the joint services for bringing an end to the gang.
Nearly the whole community gathered to get glimpses of the gunmen who were pronounced dead on arrival at the Bartica Hospital. Police were forced to control the crowd as people surged forward to make positive identifications of the men.
Speaking with this newspaper, a resident said that while he was relived he was also saddened that persons born and bred in the community had been carrying out the attacks.
“You want to celebrate, but at the same time you are aggrieved because these are people that we see around the community and we know their families. It is hard to take a position openly,” he said. However, others did not hesitate to say that they could now sleep in peace at night knowing that the gang had been destroyed. One man said residents were terrified and every night persons were forced to retire early out of fear of being attacked. Even then he said the chances of “them not coming for you were slim”.
“I am glad they are gone, just glad,” were the words of another resident.
While there were mixed emotions, many in the community were united in their praise for the joint services. One man told this newspaper that he was particularly impressed with the work of the new Office-in-charge at Bartica Police Station, Superintendent Kevin Adonis.
The general feeling in the community is that the residents expect the police force to step-up law enforcement and keep tracking criminals who are hiding out and living among them.
Zero progress
Knights had recently expressed alarm at what he said was the “very sudden upsurge in crime at Bartica” and he charged that the police were making zero progress with respect to the crimes.
Knights had issued a press release saying that the community had suffered a string of robberies; seven armed robberies within two weeks. He said it appeared as though a day or two would not pass without some family wailing and anguishing over the loss of their hard earned cash, valuables and experiencing the fear of being vulnerable.
Knights had called on all stakeholders, the government and the joint services, to step up to the challenge and take the necessary and appropriate action.
“We need action; we need to feel safe and comforted knowing that our policy makers and security forces are not forsaking us, or leaving us to the mercies of criminals. We are too close to having to live through again, that night in February of 2008,” Knights had said.
February 17 marked the anniversary of the Bartica massacre when around 20 gunmen attacked Bartica slaughtering one dozen people including three policemen during an hour-long strafing. It had been reported that the gunmen attacked the police station first, killing three policemen and freeing prisoners. They then took the vehicle assigned to the police station and went on a rampage, terrorising the community and murdering nine others.
According to reports, the gunmen arrived in the area by boat and departed in similar fashion taking with them firearms they had grabbed from the police station and from a mining company. Persons are before the courts charged with the murders at Bartica.
