Latest update March 24th, 2025 7:05 AM
Auto dealer wanted for carjackings turns self in
By Shervin Belgrave
Kaieteur News – On Monday, Andrew Archibald, a prominent auto dealer and alleged leader of a carjacking gang, turned himself in to investigators of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).
Kaieteur News was able to confirm this development with the SOCU boss, Fazil Karimbaskh.
Andrew Archibald has turned himself into police in connection with a series of carjacking.
He said that the wanted man walked into SOCU’s office with his lawyer and was being grilled by investigators.
A wanted bulletin was issued for Archibald on January 20, 2022, mere days after SOCU investigators were able to locate two stolen cars at the R. Singh Workshop located at Montrose on the East Coast Demerara. One of the cars, a white Toyota Allion, was hijacked from a taxi driver, Steve Mootooveren at Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, by two armed men earlier in January. He was reportedly lured into the trap by a “beautiful young woman” who had hired his car from in front of the Giftland Mall located at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
The second car, a Toyota Fielder wagon, was stolen on November 18 last year from Tyrone Pires, another taxi driver. Bandits had removed the car from in front of the man’s home located at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
After recovering both cars, investigators discovered that the criminal acts were carried out by a well organised gang that specialises in carjackings. It was discovered too that the gang is responsible for a number of carjackings that have been taking place across Region 4 in recent years.
So far, Ravin Singh, the owner of the workshop where the stolen cars were found, and Leon Lewis, who was positively identified as one of the hijackers, have been remanded for their involvement in the gang’s operations.
SOCU investigators had revealed to Kaieteur News that more persons are involved in the gang’s operation but its alleged leader and mastermind was identified as Archibald.
The gang makes its money by selling stolen cars and spare parts to unsuspecting customers. It had remained undetected for years because the sales agreement with the customers would always be legal.
The gang was able to pull this off by purchasing crashed cars legally and then sending out its members to steal similar ones.
They would then remake the stolen ones to look just like the crashed ones. This included welding on engine numbers from the crashed car onto the stolen ones and installing corresponding number plates.
SOCU is confident that it will be able to dismantle this well-organised criminal group.
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