-seller being questioned
The fuel that was in the possession of coastguards when they were arrested at Parika on Sunday has been found to be illegal and as the investigations intensify, a North West District businessman who reportedly sold the fuel has been held, police sources said.
And residents of the North West District (NWD) yesterday said that the vessel the men were held in belongs to a policeman stationed in the area who is reportedly involved in illegal activities including fuel smuggling.
The army had initially said that the vessel belongs to a Better Hope, East Coast Demerara man who operates a boat service from Charity to the NWD but residents yesterday strongly denied this.
Up to press time last evening, the coast guard ranks who are attached to the Morawhanna base, NWD were still in custody at the Parika Police Station and according to reports reaching this newspaper, the girlfriend of one of the men is being questioned.
A police source said that the Guyana Energy Agency which had taken samples of fuel has tested it and found it to be illegal. The source added that sometime yesterday, a man who operates a shop at Morawhanna was arrested after the ranks in custody said it was he who sold them the fuel. The businessman is being held at the Mabaruma Police Station.
According to sources the boat the coastguards were in, belongs to a police constable who has been attached to the Morawhanna Police Station for the past eight years. The policeman is also said to be the owner of a shop in the same area.
Reports indicate that a boat mechanic keeps the vessel at an Aruka River location for the policeman and is the one responsible for renting it out to persons.
Sources have also told this newspaper that the fuel the coastguards had belongs to the policeman and from all appearances he might have been the one who supplied it to the shop owner.
Stabroek News was told last evening that the policeman has been involved in fuel smuggling and other illegal activities for some time now. Residents also said that they complained about his behaviour towards them on numerous occasions but nothing was done.
Yesterday, a source who is knowledgeable about the fuel smuggling trade was convinced that the coastguard ranks were involved in fuel smuggling. According to the source the man, who appear to “be fresh in the business”, might have already sold some of the illegal fuel because of the amount of money that was found in their possession.
Fuel smuggling is rampant on the Essequibo River and more so at Parika, since many opt to purchase the illicit fuel because of the reduced cost. The vessel is smuggled here from Venezuela.
The coastguard ranks including an officer were held at Parika with three and a half drums of fuel, four cellular phones, one Global Positioning System (GPS) and $116,000 aboard.
The officer was also in possession of his service pistol and five matching rounds.
The army has since said that the trio made an “unauthorized” trip from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) coastguard base at Morawhanna in Region One (Barima/Waini).
They were arrested on a directive given by the army Chief of Staff and taken to the Parika Police Station. The pistol and the other items are in the custody of the GDF.
The men aroused suspicion after they reportedly started asking for directions to Parika, while on the Essequibo River. Residents then alerted the police and the men were detained around 16:50 hours.
A joint criminal investigation involving representatives of the Guyana Police Force, the GDF’s G2 Branch and the Coastguard is in progress.
