Multi-million dollar gold heist…Detectives find part of stolen cash buried in soldier’s backyard

Aug 09, 2021 News

The GDF rank allegedly involved in the crime.

– Three now in custody

Kaieteur News – After grilling suspects, interviewing persons of interest, receiving tip offs and locating vital evidence, detectives Saturday night made a major breakthrough by recovering some of the cash that was stolen in the multi-million dollar gold heist last Thursday.
The recovered cash, according to information reaching this media house totaled to $18M and was found buried in the backyard of a serving member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). He has since been arrested along with another GDF member believed to be his girlfriend.
The Deputy Director of the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GDF), Stan Gouveia had confirmed earlier yesterday that three persons are in custody for crime and among them are individuals with military background. He explained that multiple persons were detained in connection with the crime and questioned but some have been released after the cops did not find anything to link them to the heist.
Later on during the day, GDF cleared the air and acknowledged that two of its ranks are being investigated for their alleged involvement in the robbery of a gold trading company called Wallison Enterprise.

Screengrab of the detectives recovering some of the stolen cash from the backyard of a GDF rank

In a statement it sent out, GDF detailed that its Military Police Department is cooperating with GPF and assisting detectives where necessary. The statement assured that a “vast majority of its ranks” are honest and hardworking Guyanese who uphold the standards of the Force.
Meanwhile sources explained how detectives were led to the backyard of the GDF rank. Detectives had reportedly found that the plan to rob the gold trader was a well-orchestrated one. It allegedly involved security guards employed with the establishment. Further investigations had led them to the home of one of the suspects located in Sophia. They had found items belonging to Wallison Enterprise in the house but the suspect was nowhere to be found.
The detectives had learnt that the loot was split at the same Sophia home. As their investigations continued, one person held reportedly buckled under interrogation and leaked some more information.
It is believed that this information led cops to the home of the GDF rank located on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD). Ranks had reportedly showed up at the location and managed to recover the cash. It is unclear if the detectives knew exactly where the money was or if GDF rank buckled too and led them to where it was buried.
A video which surfaced on Facebook showed detectives unearthing the cash from a shallow hole in the yard. The cash was stashed in a margarine bucket, wrapped in two black plastic bags.
As investigations continue, detectives related that the other suspects involved are still to be caught and express hope that they will be able to recover the rest of the loot. Wallison Enterprise located at Gordon Street, Kitty was robbed by three armed bandits posing as gold dealers. They had pulled up in front of the building in a white car. They entered the premises under the pretense that they had gone there to sell gold.
After gaining access to the building, they held the employees at gun point forcing them to open two metal safes. They filled their haversacks with $38M in cash and $20M worth of raw gold before making good their escape.