Businessman Harrylall Motilall has been identified as the prime suspect in Thurs-day night’s shooting during which two Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) officers from the Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) were wounded in an anti-smuggling operation.
Sunday Stabroek was reliably informed that as the investigation into the incident continues, Motilall is yet to be arrested.
Sources told this newspaper that checks were made for Motilall but he was not located up to yesterday afternoon.
Motilall is known to law enforcement officials. In the past, he was charged with similar incidents and convicted once.
Just last year, Motilall also known as ‘Jinga Harry’ and another suspect were released on bail after they were arrested in relation to a shoot-out which occurred as law enforcement officers were attempting to seize a quantity of smuggled items.
Motilall and others were accused of allegedly opening fire on law enforcement officers, who were responding to a report of him having in his possession a quantity of smuggled items.
High-powered firearms were used in this shooting. No injuries were reported.
In September 2020, Motilall was also charged with firing a gun as well as possession of components of a firearm without a licence. Bail was granted on both charges.
In 2016, Motilall was sentenced to four years in absentia after he was found guilty of shooting at GRA officers. The incident had occurred in 2014.
In Thursday’s incident one of the GRA officers was shot in his face and chest while the other was shot in his abdomen.
The officer shot in the face has had two surgeries to date and remains hospitalised. His condition is listed as stable. The other officer was discharged from hospital.
In a press release issued on Friday, the GRA had said a team of LEID officers in coordination with the police, acting on information received around 11.45 pm moved to intercept a vessel on the suspicion that it was transporting un-customed goods in the Mahaica River by land and water.
During the process, the GRA’s vessel came under gunfire.
“The GRA’s vessel came under high-powered and spotlighted gunfire emanating both from the suspect’s property and the suspected vessel, clear evidence that they may have been tipped off,” the statement said.
As a result, it added that the LEID officers took evasive action by lying in their vessel. They returned fire in the general direction of the perpetrators, the GRA added.
However, the perpetrator’s bullets pierced the GRA’s vessel and injured the two officers.
Information gathered by this newspaper revealed that after the injured officers came under attack, the bullets “were too much”.
Reports also revealed that all of the officers who were on the operation including the two who were injured were wearing bulletproof vests.
