Latest update November 29th, 2024 1:00 AM
Crime Chief awarded for outstanding leadership during 2015
By Romila Boodram
Under his leadership, the public saw perpetrators of some of the most high profile cases in the country, being charged for the crime. We’ve also seen the dismantling of a gang responsible for trailing and robbing incoming
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum receiving the plaque from Commissioner of Police
passengers from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
It did not stop there. Several persons were arrested after being involved in piracy attacks in ‘B’ Division, and it goes on.
Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent, Wendell Blanhum, was yesterday awarded for his outstanding leadership during the year. The commendation came during the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) annual Christmas luncheon at Eve Leary.
He was presented with a plaque by the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud.
The Crime Chief related that the successes were not achieved overnight but were due to a lot of hard work and planning. He noted, too, that some of the initiatives that the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, would have pioneered, while as Crime Chief, contributed to the victory.
According to Blanhum, during the year, the CID headquarters has continued in its quest to prevent and detect crimes which is the prime objective. While there were challenges, “We were able to confront those challenges and in many instances we came out successful.”
Some of the cases the CID had to deal with for the year included staged murders, robberies, conspiracies that resulted in murders and cases where persons were contracted to “take out” another and in most cases, it was family members, who hired the killer(s).
For these crimes, the perpetrators were charged and placed before the court. As recent as two months ago, 42-year-old Nathan Persaud was murdered in his home at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
A few days later, Persaud’s estranged wife, Beverly, confessed to hiring a man to kill the father of her four children. The woman and hit man, Oswald Junior Yaw, were charged.
With regard to the staged robberies, Blanhum said that during his 17 years in the force, last September would have been the first time he dealt with a case where one man in Berbice staged a robbery so that he can get back his wife.
“I attended to cases with staged robberies but this was unique. We have solved that case and hope to send a message to anyone out there with similar motives,” the Crime Chief said.
He said, too, that the “airport robberies” are a thing of the past now. They were able to arrest a number of persons, including former policemen, who were placed before the court and are in prison.
This did not exclude the dismantling of another gang that was operating and based on the EBD.
“With the help of the Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) team, ranks from CID inclusive of the intelligence ranks, they were able to conduct an operation and the gang leader was fatally shot and another injured.” Gang members were also placed before the court.
That gang was allegedly responsible for the murder of Regent Multiplex Mall Owner, Ganesh Ramlall, in July last.
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