Piari Landing attack…Two more gunmen float up

Oct 06, 2011 News

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Members of the Joint Services continued their operation in the Cuyuni area where they began a massive hunt for the remaining gunmen in last Sunday night’s reign of terror at Piari Landing in the Puruni River.
The remainder of the gang is suspected to be holed up on a island some three miles long and a mile wide in the Cuyuni River.
Yesterday around 11:00 hours, two more bodies believed to be those of gang members were recovered at the foot of the Looking Glass Falls in the Cuyuni River, where their getaway boat had capsized.

The bodies were beyond recognition but police are convinced that they were part of the gang of which members were hurled into the river after the boat veered out of control in the swirling waters of the falls.
Reports are that officials are considering burying the bodies near where they were found because of their condition.
On Tuesday police recovered two bodies, one identified as 37-year old Linden resident Aubrey Kingston, and the other as of one of the bandits.
They had also captured three members of the gang during a sweep of the area following the brazen robbery.
Also yesterday, a team comprising army as well as police ranks returned to the Looking Glass Falls area while another team went back to Piari area.
Kingston was positively identified by his former reputed wife, Winifred Phillips, who told this newspaper that she had received word from other residents in Bartica on Tuesday morning that the man died after he was kidnapped by some gunmen.
“I hear people talking all morning about this incident, so late yesterday afternoon (Tuesday afternoon) I hear that a boat bringing out he and another man.”
Phillips said after the boat arrived on Bartica, she decided to go down to the hospital to put all speculation to rest.
“When I reach the police ask me who I was and I told them and they remove a leatherette that they had over he and then I confirm it was Aubrey.”
There are reports that the fleeing bandits had beaten Kingston and had forced him to operate the boat for their getaway.
The woman said she was told by a survivor, that throughout the journey with the bandits, Kingston pleaded with them not to harm him since he had three children to live for.
The woman told this publication that Kingston recently started working in the Cuyuni area and as such was not familiar with the river.
She added that there are rumours that suggested that her former reputed husband may have been helping the gang, but according to Philips, she was not aware of Kingston’s activities in the past months.
“What I know is that he was very familiar with the Mazaruni River because he use to captain a boat in that location for a while but only recently I heard he start working in the Cuyuni area.”
As it relates to the search for the remaining gunmen on the island a source said that the men were spotted trying to stop boats passing in the area.
“The island is about three miles in length and a mile in width and these men have nothing to survive on but it is a big island with dense forest,” the source said.
“We ensured that our men have sufficient food for a few days because we don’t know how long this operation will go for…but we are in this for the long haul.”
“We don’t know how much of them are there and we don’t know if they are still armed or if their weapons went down with the getaway boat,” another source told Kaieteur News.
Meanwhile this publication was told that the Brazilians who were wounded in the attack and were being treated at the Bartica Hospital, have since opted to go back to their homeland for further medical attention.
On Sunday night, a gang of gunmen stormed the Piari Landing, Puruni, firing shots indiscriminately and wounding three persons in the process.
According to reports, as the armed men approached, a number of shop owners and other persons fled into the bushes. However, eight persons were robbed of cash, raw gold and jewellery. Three of them were shot and injured.
Brazilian shopkeeper, Joao De Freitas  Mattos, was shot to his right leg and robbed of $60,000. He was admitted to the Bartica Hospital. His countryman, another shopkeeper Benedito Docerado Oliveira, 56, was shot to his right hip and robbed of half million dollars and a quantity of raw gold. He was also treated at the Bartica Hospital.
Another Brazilian, Francisco Da Cruz Morias, 44, was shot to his right thigh and left foot and robbed of $140,000. He too received treatment at the Bartica Hospital, as did 56-year-old Joao Da Conceicao, who was robbed of $30,000.
Brazilian Mario Odessa Da Silva was robbed of jewellery and half million dollars, while Curtis Bannette, 34, was relieved of $110,000 and a cell phone.
David Coates and Carlton Small, who were beaten about the body, were treated at the Bartica Hospital and sent away.

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