Gunmen in reign of terror

Nov 05, 2009 News

The Joint Services have moved into top gear to investigate a series of events that started early yesterday morning. These events included murder, abduction, arson and armed attacks on the police station at Brickdam and the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost.

The events have left one man dead, two policemen nursing gunshot wounds and a Ministry of Health fire accused with severe injuries as a result of a brutal beating.

While police believe that all the activities are linked, they are yet to determine a motive for the attacks, which occurred just hours before two police ranks were arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on charges stemming from allegations of torture.

However, Police Commissioner Henry Greene told a press conference yesterday afternoon that the perpetrators have been positively identified and are the same persons who are associated with the gang, whose members were implicated and charged with the arson committed earlier this year on the Ministry of Health on Brickdam.

He said that investigations are proceeding rapidly as the law enforcement agencies seek to obtain the identity of the criminal mastermind of what he described as terrorist attacks.

The series of events began shortly after midnight on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway when a gang of about eight men attacked a group of miners who were traveling in a gold coloured pick-up GLL 7171.

According to Greene, Sean Embleton, 25, of Kuru Kururu, along with two employees Wodette Roberts, called ‘Buckman’, 22, and Roopchand Gopaul, 47, also from Kuru Kururu, were travelling in the vicinity of Loo Creek when a white Toyota wagon and a silver grey motor car overtook their vehicle.

One of the men in the back seat of the wagon signaled with a red triangular reflector, similar to those used by the police, for them to stop.

About eight men dressed in black clothing resembling police uniforms, who were armed with firearms and wearing bullet-proof vests, one of which was marked ‘Police’, exited the vehicles, according to the police.

After holding up the miners and relieving them of their vehicle the men proceeded with them to a location about 100 meters off the highway in the vicinity of Dora.

The gunmen bound their victims with duct tape and placed them in different locations.

They then drove away in the vehicles.

Embleton later managed to free himself and found that Wodette Roberts, called ‘Buckman’, had died.

“Apparently duct tape was placed over his mouth and nostrils, and with his hands handcuffed behind his back, it is suspected that he had suffocated,” Greene said.

Shortly after 2:00 hours three armed men wearing dark clothing and toques approached the female RK Security Guard at the High Court in Georgetown and told her not to be alarmed.

One remained with her, while the others went to the Registry and later a fire was seen coming from the area.

“The two men who had entered the court subsequently ran past the guard while the third one told her ‘Don’t worry; Don’t worry with anything’ and he left,” the Commissioner said.

All three men then left in a gold coloured Tacoma pick-up vehicle, which the police said, was stolen from the three miners.

The Fire Service was summoned and extinguished the fire. Damage was done to some records and a part of the building.

According to the Police Commissioner a quantity of channa was found in the building.

Not long after, a group of gunmen in the same gold-coloured Tacoma vehicle proceeded to the Brickdam Police Station where they threw a grenade at a Police Vehicle PLL 6345 which was about to enter the compound.

However, the grenade failed to explode and is in the possession of the police.

The gunmen then discharged rounds at the Brickdam Police Station while travelling along Brickdam, Manget Place and Hadfield Street.

This resulted in bullet damage to the walls of the Impact Base, Barrack Room, Traffic Office, Operations Room and the Divisional Commander’s Office.

A rank at the Brickdam Police Station told the newspaper that the vehicle with the men appeared from an easterly direction.

“We hear gunshots and when we peep out we see this open back vehicle. Two bullets hit the enquiries office, three hit the Impact Base and two policemen get hit,” the rank said.

Detective Corporal 16450 Indarpaul and Constable 18961 Singh, who were asleep in the Barrack Room at the time, were shot.

Indarpaul received an injury to his left ankle while Singh was hit in his right side jaw. Singh was treated and later discharged while Corporal Indarpaul has been admitted for surgery. Singh is to receive further medical treatment.

The men also discharged rounds at the home and parked vehicle of a Hadfield Street businessman during the rampage.

Forty two 7.62 x 39 spent shells, five spent bullets and a 12 gauge cartridge were recovered by the police.

While the police have not yet concluded ballistics tests on the recovered shells and ammunition, a source has indicated that those recovered bore rust and appeared to have been improperly stored.

Meanwhile, Clifton Westford, the father of Clayton Westford and who also claimed to be the brother of Minister of Public Service Jennifer Westford was making a report at the East Ruimveldt Outpost in relation to the incident involving his son when the Tacoma pick up vehicle and a white motor car bearing registration number plate PLL 6081 approached.

Shots were discharged from the occupants of the vehicle at the station, hitting the concrete wall. Westford and a police rank were forced to take cover. No one was injured.

Two 7.62 x 39 spent shells were found by the police at that scene.

It did not end there. About 03:30 hours unknown person entered the Richard Ishmael Secondary School at Woolford Avenue, Georgetown , and set fire to several areas of the building

Thanks to law abiding citizens the police were informed and the Fire Service responded and extinguished the fires averting major damage.

The police found three bottles with a flammable liquid and channa in the building.

Police are questioning a security guard attached to the school, who mysteriously did not report for duty on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile Commissioner Greene said that investigators have found no evidence that a youth arrested in a white Toyota Station wagon was involved in the attacks.

“We did hold a car and a young man but his explanation is plausible so far and it appears as though he was not connected in anyway with what took place,” Greene said.

He said that the events happened so quickly that the police did not even get a chance to respond.

At an earlier press conference following the Ministry of Health arson, the media was told that investigators had identified the ‘intellectual authors and planners’, who according to Greene may be linked to yesterday’s attacks.

He explained that these ‘intellectual authors and planners’ are in the United States of America.

“We’re still awaiting the assistance of the United States in providing us with certain information. We’re still requesting them to assist us to trace those persons in the United States. We’ve not yet gotten that,” the Police Commissioner stated.

He could not say how many such authors and planners there are but investigators are working on a telephone number to which certain calls were made.

“We’ve seen the link between this matter and the first matter and therefore we maintain the link with those who might be in charge or involved overseas,” Greene explained.