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Alleged carjackers charged
By Shervin Belgrave
Kaieteur News – The prominent businessman, Andrew Archibald Samaroo, suspected to be the leader of a carjacking gang operating in Region Four was yesterday remanded to prison, while one of the other alleged gang members, Ravin Singh, was released on $500,000 bail.
Leon Lewis.
Samaroo, of Fifth Street, South Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara operates a car rental business and is also a well-known auto and spare parts dealer. He turned himself in, two days ago, to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) some three weeks after a wanted bulletin was issued for him by police.
Samaroo was implicated in the recent theft of two cars – one which was stolen on November 18, last year at Beterverwagting on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and another that was hijacked on January 14, 2022 at Caneview Avenue South Ruimveldt – after SOCU investigators recovered them at R. Singh Workshop located at Montrose, ECD.
SOCU investigators told Kaieteur News, that while in custody, Samaroo denied that he was involved in the theft of the two cars. Nevertheless, investigators had gathered enough evidence for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Hack, to advise that he be slapped with three joint charges in relation to the theft of the cars.
Those three joint charges were instituted against him yesterday. Two of them at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court by her Worship, Rushelle Liverpool and one at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
The first joint charge was for him and Ravin Singh, the owner of the R. Singh workshop where both of the stolen cars were found. They were jointly charged with conspiracy to defraud by receiving a stolen silver-gray Fielder Wagon motorcar HD1629-the car stolen on November 18 last year- and concealing its identity by changing the chassis number.
Andrew Archibald Samaroo.
They both pleaded not guilty to the charge. Their lawyers requested bail but only Ravin Singh’s request was granted. Magistrate Liverpool granted him bail in the sum of $200,000. It should be noted too that Singh was previously remanded on joint charge with another suspect, Leon Lewis, known as “Turbo” in relation to the same matter but had managed to get bail for that charge too. Kaieteur News learnt that for that charge, Singh was released on $300,000 bail.
As it relates to Samaroo, bail was refused after the prosecutor in the matter objected. The prosecutor argued that Samaroo had eluded investigators for three weeks before surrendering. The court heard that during the three weeks SOCU investigators had tried to locate him by various means, one of them being via phone but Samaroo had refused to respond.
Moreover, the prosecutor said Samaroo is being investigated for several other car theft related allegations and police fear that if he is released he might disappear again and this time never return because he is also an American citizen.
Magistrate Liverpool agreed with the prosecutor’s argument and remanded Samaroo for that charge until March 7, 2022. The second joint charge that Samaroo faced at the Sparendaam Magistrate Court was for him and the second suspect involved, Leon Lewis known as Turbo.
Lewis was not able to appear because he was still on remand for the previous joint charge he faced with Singh. Nevertheless an order was prepared by the magistrate for him to answer the charge on his next court appearance.
Ravin Singh.
It is alleged that he and Samaroo had fraudulently altered the identifying mark (license plate number) of a stolen Toyota Allion – the second car that was stolen on January 14 this year- from HC9968 to PXX 7021. Samaroo pleaded not guilty to this charge too but was refused bail again.
Samaroo was later taken to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and slapped with a third charge. There he was jointly charged with Lewis with robbery underarms. Samaroo, Singh and Lewis are accused of being part of a well organized criminal gang that has been hijacking cars across Region Four in recent years.
The gang makes its money by selling stolen cars and spare parts to unsuspecting customers. It 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 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 chassis 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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