The police believe they have dismantled a major carjacking operation following the discovery of suspected stolen vehicles and parts at two separate locations on Friday evening and seven persons, including an ex-policeman, are now in custody.
Crime Chief Paul Williams confirmed to Sunday Stabroek that raids were conducted at Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and Vryheid’s Lust North, East Coast Demerara.
He said apart from the ex-policeman, another man and five female suspects were in custody up to late yesterday.
In a press statement, the Guyana Police Force said that acting on information received, ranks of ‘A’ Division swooped down on a property at Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and conducted a search that uncovered several vehicles and a quantity of parts, all suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
At this location, the ex-policeman and four of the female suspects were arrested.
Meanwhile, ranks from the Major Crimes Unit arrested a couple at their Vryheid’s Lust North home after a quantity of Allion, Premio and Spacio parts, with engraved numbers, was found on their premises.
Williams told Sunday Stabroek that efforts were being made to confirm if the recovered vehicles and parts were stolen property. Towards this end, he said that measures will be put in place in the new week to have the victims of carjackings and the theft of parts view what was recovered. The vehicles and parts found at Kuru Kururu are all lodged at the Timehri Police Station.
According to Williams, alterations appear to have been made to the vehicles to change their appearances.
The police force had previously warned the public, and specifically taxi drivers operating the Toyota Allion and Toyota Premio models, to be on the alert for potential carjackers.
The modus operandi, the police have noted, is for persons to hire cabs around Georgetown for destinations such as North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara, Providence, East Bank Demerara, and West Demerara and then rob the drivers of their personal belongings and their vehicles upon arrival at the requested destination.
In recent months, there have been an increasing number of robberies during which the victims are relieved of their vehicles.
Williams had announced a massive countrywide operation to dismantle what he said appeared to be a “ring.”
“We are going to deal with these matters very seriously and robustly because these cars are going somewhere and we have to find out who are encouraging it because if there weren’t markets they would not have been sold,” he had said.
He had also said attention would be paid to auto-body workshops, since some are suspected to be the buyers of the stolen vehicles parts.
