Wanted man Vijay Seenarine, who escaped from the New Amsterdam Prison just over two weeks ago, was arrested yesterday after police found him walking along a street in Corentyne, Berbice.
In a brief statement, police said that Seenarine was nabbed at about 11am as he was walking along J.C. Chandisingh Road in Rosehall. Police, according to the release, were able to locate the escapee based on information received.
Seenarine and three other inmates escaped from the NA prison on June 11. The man had been on remand for carnal knowledge. Rickford La Fleur of Circle Street, Skeldon; Kevin ‘Long Hair’ Narine of Number Seven Village, West Coast Berbice; and Vinood Gopaul of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder (BBP) are still on the run.
The search by the Joint Services for the remaining three escapees is continuing, police said.
A Rose Hall resident told Stabroek News yesterday that they were walking along the same street when a “van load of police pull up” and immediately made efforts to hold a man. The resident, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said they were not aware at the time that the man being arrested was Seenarine.
“It wasn’t no big scene you know,” the resident said. “When I see the police I thought they were just patrolling or going somewhere. I didn’t take it for nothing and he didn’t take it for nothing either…and like when he realize is him they were coming for he tried to make a dash but he couldn’t get anywhere.”
The resident, who has been living in the area for several decades, said that they had never seen Seenarine in the area before. It is unclear whether Seenarine was passing through the area or whether he had been hiding out there following his escape.
Police, according to the resident, have also increased their patrols in the area following the arrest of Seenarine.
“Sometime I does sit down on my verandah whole night and don’t see one police….look now is around 7.30 [pm] and since place get dark I done see police patrol pass here two times,” the resident said.
Meanwhile, a law enforcement source told Stabroek News that the other escapees are moving alone as well. The source explained that the men are all from different backgrounds and have no reason to stay together.
“It wouldn’t be logical for them to stick together…think about it, a group would attract the attention of police easily.
Based on my experience I would say that the other three [Narine, La Fleur and Gopaul] are moving alone,” the source stressed.
The four prisoners had reportedly removed boards from the northern section of the wall in the male block of the prison and then ripped out zinc sheets from the eastern side of the fence to make the daring getaway.
Prison officers discovered the boards missing around 6:45 am when they entered that section and immediately made checks to see who had escaped.
Reports are that the other prisoners are claiming that they did not hear anything suspicious. It was later discovered that part of the breakout was recorded by security cameras in the prison compound.
Gopaul who was charged with murder was among 18 prisoners who had broken out of the same prison on August 25, 2007.
