A vigilant city constable yesterday afternoon stumbled upon a box containing 15 grenades and a small quantity of live ammunition near the Lamaha canal on Sheriff Street.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Stabroek News that detectives and ranks from the force’s ballistics section unearthed 11 fragmentation grenades, four concussion grenades, thirteen fuses, three 7.62 rounds for an AK-47, and seven 9mm rounds in the small green box.
Blanhum said around 2:40 pm the constable was in the vicinity of Sheriff Street near the Botanical Gardens when he observed the box on the northern edge of the Lama canal. He said that upon closer examination, the constable noticed the explosives and ammunition and immediately informed his superiors and the police.
An official in the City Constabulary said the discovery was made in an area which is being targeted in the ongoing citywide clean-up campaign. He said persons regularly dump garbage at the site. As a result, city constables are being stationed there around the clock to ensure that no garbage is dumped.
Stabroek News was told that the constable spotted the suspicious box, which was covered in mud, while walking around the area.
It is suspected that the box was dumped in the area recently. Blanhum said it is possible that the box was dumped in the canal and was scooped up by an excavator while it was being dug and dumped at the side of the canal with mud and other debris. He said that the explosives appeared to be in good condition.
Members of the police bomb squad, after spending a few hours at the scene conducting investigations, later removed the box. Fingerprint testing is to be done to trace its origin.
The discovery occurs just a few days before the government’s gun amnesty programme comes to an end.
The amnesty was introduced in response to a noticeable increase in gun crimes. It allowed for guns, ammunition and explosives to be handed in without questions being asked or charges being laid.
So far, no explosive device has been handed in.
Grenades, sources say, can be acquired just as easily as a gun or ammunition. The security sources continue to grapple with the regular flow of contraband, including arms, across the country’s porous borders. Brazil is the producer of small arms and it is believed that the bulk of the weapons are coming from there.
