A 62-year-old Brazilian national was found dead at his business premises at Eteringbang, Region Seven on Wednesday morning and three Venezuelan nationals were taken into police custody for questioning.
Dead is Edmilson Dos Santos called ‘Damicio’, a miner and hotel proprietor of Eteringbang Landing, Cuyuni River.
It is believed that Dos Santos was murdered sometime between 8 pm Tuesday and 11 am Wednesday at Eteringbang Landing, Cuyuni River.
Dos Santos was lying face down. His feet were bound while his hands were tied with a hammock. A mattock was stuck into the middle of his skull and his forehead appeared to have been bludgeoned.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum yesterday confirmed that the police have since arrested three persons of interest including two females as the investigation continues.
Reports are that Dos Santos who moved here about eight years ago operated a hotel which is usually rented to Venezuelan nationals. Over the years, Dos Santos expanded his business which now consists of twelve rooms. He occupied a room in the bottom flat of the building.
At the time of the discovery, Dos Santos was the only occupant of the building.
According to the police, a vendor who operates a hot dog cart on the Eteringbang Landing related to investigators that on Tuesday he went to Dos Santos to rent a room but he asked him to return the following morning.
The police said the vendor stated that he returned around 11 am on Wednesday and called out to Dos Santos. However, he got no response and decided to push open his room door and the gruesome discovery was made.
A relative of Dos Santos who wished not to be named yesterday told Stabroek News that she last spoke to him about four days ago.
The woman said she learnt of the incident yesterday morning. “I heard the hot dog guy that does normally sell not far from his hotel wanted to rent a room there but he wasn’t getting through to Edmilson and he went and look for him and he found him in his room in a very had condition,” she said.
The woman believes that Dos Santos was killed by person/s who knew him.
She related that the Eteringbang area is not safe for persons to operate their business. “There they have these syndicatos (crime gang). They coming from Venezuela. They would go there, rent and if you talk anything about them or tell the police about them or whatsoever they come to you in that manner,” the woman explained.
“The place isn’t safe…There is a lot of business there but you don’t know who is who…That place really need security there. They have a lot of business, hotel, big supermarket and so and everybody just walking through and coming over including these syndicatos,” she said.
