Two Guyana Sugar Cor-poration (GuySuCo) cane harvesters are in police custody following a sting operation, in which they were caught destroying transport punts to be resold as scrap metal.
GuySuCo’s security department in conjunction with the police force and a scrap metal dealer conducted the operation, which led to the interception of the workers at the Central Navigation Canal Dam in the LBI/Diamond cultivation, while they were attempting to sell parts of destroyed punts.
In a statement, GuySuCo said the men, of Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara, were cane harvesters attached to the LBI/Diamond cultivation. It explained that they used a welding torch to destroy cane transport punts belonging to the corporation and had the metal secluded in the Diamond section of the cultivation.
It was revealed that they were attempting to arrange a sale of the destroyed punts—totalling approximately eight tonnes—to the scrap metal dealer with whom the corporation’s security department was in contact in relation to the theft, destruction and attempted sale of GuySuCo’s property.
The men were both arrested on a truck with which they arranged to transport the metal to the premises of the East Bank Demerara based scrap metal dealer.
The corporation said the men, who have since admitted to the illegal act and disclosed to the police the full details of their ploy, are in custody at the Providence Police Station pending charges. “The sugar industry has been plagued by similar acts of vandalism at all its locations. The Security Units is constantly dealing with persons who illegally enter its locations to acquire scrap metal, which they in turn sell to dealers involved in the scrap metal trade,” it said.
It added that it will continue to work closely with the police force and other stakeholders to ensure the full force of the law is brought to bear on the two men. The corporation is also asking persons to report information of any illegal activities to the police or its security and promises that all information will be dealt with in the strictest of confidentiality.
