An infamous car-parts thieving ring called the ‘Salt Fish Gang’ has struck again, this time at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara and one of its teenage members, who has a matter in court, was caught while police are seeking his accomplices.
While the family was sleeping, Monica Chisholm of Lot 7 Cottage, Mahaicony told Stabroek News, the gang silently entered the yard and began to strip the headlights from a car, recently purchased by her son, Andre. She said she awoke at about 1.30 am yesterday and turned on the TV when she heard someone calling. It was some relatives who had caught the youth stripping the car.
Chisholm said that the youth, who told police he was 14, was caught while his accomplices, who he identified as his relatives, escaped. She said that they escaped in a white car with the parts they had already stripped. “When we ask he where is the parts, he sey ‘Fat Man’ gone with the parts,” she said. ‘Fat Man’ is the alias of a relative of the boy. He also has a matter before the court.
Residents thrashed the teenaged boy. He was caught allegedly stealing at Parika last December and was hogtied by residents of the East Bank Essequibo community at that time. He, his uncle, another man and his grandfather were charged in that incident. It was revealed in court at the time that he was 17 years old.
Chisholm told Stabroek News that she called the Mahaica and Cove and John police stations asking them to set up roadblocks but she was told that only one policeman was available. She said she was referred to the Mahaicony Police Station and the officers there were helpful. After being soundly thrashed by residents, the boy was taken to the station and since he gave his age as 14, the police placed him on the bench. “When they put he on the bench to sit, he try to scale the fence,” Chisholm said. The police had to place him in the lock-ups.
When questioned, the boy gave the aliases of his relatives, who were charged jointly with him in the Parika incident. Chisholm was critical of those engaged in the activity. “Is the spare parts’ dealers buying these parts,” she noted.
The woman pointed out that last week, residents of Mahaica were hit by spare-parts thieves and apparently it was the same gang.
The ‘Salt Fish Gang’ reportedly focuses on stealing vehicle parts.
Last December, Shameer Mohamed called ‘Jango’, 17, of Lot 7 Lusignan, East Coast Demerara; his uncle, Hazihidiri Mohamed called ‘Red boy’, 37, of Annandale, ECD; Basil Balgobin called ‘Fat boy’ of Annandale and Bhiro Persaud called ‘Dhanraj’, 62, of Non Pariel, ECD, denied a joint charge of attempting to commit a felony to wit simple larceny when they appeared before Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court. It was alleged that on December 9, 2010, at Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo, the quartet attempted to commit a felony. The charge read that they attempted to disassemble motor lorry GKK 6496 and steal the parts from it.
The court was told at the time that Balgobin had matters of a similar nature in the courts while the other defendants gave caution statements admitting to the deeds. The members of the ‘Salt Fish Gang’, the prosecutor had said, were wanted for a series of offences in Georgetown and the West Coast Demerara.
