East Canje robbery suspect identified

Nov 24, 2010 News

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EAST CANEFIELD, CANJE – One of the suspects involved in the two armed robberies in East Canje last Friday has been identified as Raymond Fraser. The known bandit has no fixed place of abode and is wanted by police. A wanted bulletin was put out for his arrest after police recovered a cache of arms and ammunition on September 21st in East Canje.
Commander of Division ‘B’, Assistant Commissioner Steve Merai said his detectives know who they are looking for but it is only a matter of time before the men are caught. It is believed that Fraser has a single barrel shotgun, and along with his accomplices, is wreaking havoc in the area.
About 00:30 hours last Friday, three masked and armed men broke into the home of 40-year old Nanwate Ganyah at Lot 897 East Canefield New Area in East Canje. The woman said the intruders were carrying a cutlass and a shotgun, and were clad in dark clothing.
She and her two daughters 19-year old Devanie Ganyah and Varsha Ganyah, 14, were terrorized and robbed of jewellery, which was stored in bag under a bed and an undisclosed sum of money. As the bandits fled the scene, they fired a shot on the road but no one sustained any injuries. Police subsequently recovered a 12 gauge spent shell from the scene.
Not long after another family, a short distance away, suffered a similar fate. At about 02:30 hours at 122 Girls’ Club Fourth Cross Street, East Canefield, a 64-year old pensioner Jagnarine Mangru was attacked by three men fitting the same description and modus operandi.
Jagnarine Mangru and his wife 60-year old Welina Mangru occupy the lower flat of the wooden house. Their son Sakesh Jagnarine a 39-year old cane cutter, his wife 28-year old Sunita Hemraj  their three children – eight-year old Davindra Jagnarine, five-year old Dhanraj Jagnarine and 18-month Nandanie Jagnarine reside above.
In that incident a gunshot rang out hitting a fridge and gas cooker as the robbers forced their way into the home. Jagnarine Mangru was gun butted and suffered a wound to the head. His son Sakesh Jagnarine a 39-year old cane cutter was relieved of $35,000, two gold chains, three gold rings and two gold bangles. Sakesh’s wife 28-year old Sunita Hemraj was said to be robbed of a quantity of gold jewellery.
Raymond Fraser is assumed to be part of a gang which is based in the East Canje area but it also operates in other localities such as Black Bush Polder using the Canje River.
The gang was headed by 40-year old David McPherson called ‘Colonel’ of Betsy Ground, East Canje who was gunned down in June after an exchange of bullets with police ranks. This gang may also be working in tandem with another group from the Liverpool/Alness area and probably have some connection to the Wellington Park reign of terror in May this year.
In that incident 47-year old Arjune Gobin, a security guard attached to Nand Persaud and Company Limited of Number Thirty-six Village on the Corentyne, was shot and killed by bandits in what was intended to be an early morning robbery at the home of a businessman Surendra Ganesh of Wellington Park on the Corentyne.
On September 21st a police patrol operating in the Adelphi area had responded to a report of assault and was returning to their normal routine about 22:20 hours when they observed two known law-breakers walking along the roadway in a suspicious manner. The team attempted to question them and they fled. The patrol gave pursuit and captured one of them – 25-year old Timothy Sampson of Adelphi New Scheme.
Moments later police ranks searched the black duffel bag he was carrying and two AK 47 assault rifles, an UZi semi-automatic sub-machine gun and a 12-gauge pump action shotgun with three matching rounds of ammunition were found. He was detained and charged.
His male companion, later identified as Raymond Fraser had escaped. Fraser was said to be carrying another bag which is suspected to have more arms and ammunition. Officials of the Guyana Defence Force identified the two AK 47 rifles as stolen from their weaponry a few years ago.
Back to the robberies in East Canje, Commander Merai said that they are working on a strategy which he is optimistic would bear fruit and the men would be brought to justice. So far no charges have yet been laid against the perpetrators of the East Canje armed robberies. Several persons were detained, questioned and released; however, two are still in custody.
According to him, there has not been an increase in crime in Division ‘B’. Statistics show that the rate remains 50 percent below that of 2009.
Yesterday, one of the victims, Jagnarine Mangru, said police took statements from members of his family and never returned to the scene. He said the fact that he cannot identify his attackers makes it more difficult for him.

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