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Police investigating gunplay after mining camp invasion
The police in Region 10 have started an investigation in which gunmen invaded a mining camp in the Upper Berbice area, in an apparent dispute.
The gunmen in the camp on Wednesday. They reportedly assaulted the manager and took away an assault rifle from a security guard.
During the invasion on Wednesday, at the Iron Mountain camp, an area off the Unamco road, near the Demerara Timbers concession, there were shots fired in what workers said was a clear attempt to bully them to remove from the area.
A senior official was assaulted during the incident.
According to a camp manager, the operation was a prospecting one with about 17 workers.
The camp was being managed by a businessman known as ‘Sunna’.
It was explained that the mining block was controlled by a man named ‘Benson’ who acquired it through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.
Permission was apparently granted to ‘Sunna’ and another man called ‘Adolphus’ and ‘Isaacs’ to work in separate areas.
“These guys say they own the land. They don’t care about Mr. Benson,” one of the workers explained.
On Saturday, heavily armed men came with someone and attempted to remove ‘Sunna’ and his prospecting operations.
“They try drawing a boundary line and saying we in dem land. However, a ranger who works for Mr ‘Benson’ said that they have no right to make those decisions. They left.”
On Wednesday afternoon, about 4pm, workers in the camp heard rapid gunfire and on racing out towards the sound, they were told by another worker that gunmen were coming.
In minutes, a group, of six men, heavily armed with AR rifles and other big guns, were in the camp.
“They rush into the camp. They had Adolphus, Braithwaite, a man we know as ‘Fathead’ and another man name ‘Duncan’ in the group.”
According to a worker, the men had taken away an AR rifle from their security guard and had it.
“Mr. Adolphus came up to ‘Sunna’ and slapped him. He fall down.”
The gunmen saw the cook videoing the scene and rushed up to her.
“They slap she and tek away her phone and stamp on it.”
However, another worker was videoing the unfolding situation.
It showed a number of the gunmen issuing death threats and warning the camp workers to leave.
The camp was closed off.
On Wednesday night, workers made a complaint to the Mackenzie Police Station, in Region 10, where a number of spent shells were handed over to the police.
“The police asked us to lodge our guns so that ballistics tests can be done according to protocols.”
A police team reportedly journeyed down to the Iron Mountain area yesterday morning but reportedly could not locate ‘Adolphus’ and the rest of the gunmen.
According to the camp workers, it is clear that it is a case of bullying.
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