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Gold miner and worker riddled with bullets
…gunmen escape with $37M worth in gold, three firearms, ammo
Kaieteur News – A prominent Bartica Businessman, Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff, 50 and a former national athlete who worked with him, Donvan Washington, 26 were on Sunday murdered by bandits while returning from Arimu Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.
Murdered Bartica Businessman, Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff
Mohammed a devout Muslim and resident of Byderado Road, Bartica, Region Seven owns a land dredge in the backdam. He reportedly started his day early Sunday with prayers at the Masjid in Bartica before leaving with Washington for Arimu Backdam on an ATV (four wheel bike. They had gone in there to wash down (a process of washing separate gold from mats placed in a sluice box to trap the precious metal) and bring out production (the gold).
According to police reports they left with 102 ounces of raw gold worth some $37M but at around 10:00hrs they were both shot dead and the gold stolen. The dead businessman’s General Manager (GM) Joel Stephen, 39, told police that Mohammed and Washington were killed some five minutes after leaving camp. He recalled hearing “several loud explosions which he suspected to be gunshots”, police said.
Stephen reportedly followed the directions of the sounds and after walking for 500 meters away from camp he found his boss and Washington dead in the trail with visible gunshot wounds to their bodies.
Murdered, Donvan Washington
Not only did he discover that the gold they were carrying was gone but Mohammed’s two licensed guns, a .32 pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun, were stolen. He reported the matter immediately to the Bartica Police Station and ranks were sent in to investigate.
Crime sleuths noted that Mohammed bore four gunshot wounds to his body-one to his chest, another to his right thigh, a third to his right arm and a fourth to his left upper back- while Washington’s body was riddled. Police counted 13 bullet holes about his body. At the scene investigators found a .32 magazine with eight live matching rounds, seven 9mm spent shells and three .32 spent shells. Their bodies have been transported to Bartica as detectives continue their investigation.
Police have learnt so far that the businessman and his worker were attacked by two masked men on a Red ATV (four-wheel bike). Residents of Bartica described the two dead men as peaceful souls and respected individuals of their community. They urged the police to take swift action to apprehend the suspects responsible for their killings.
Clime sleuths conducting investigations at the location where the businessman and his worker were gunned down
A weeping crowd at the Bartica Hospital Morgue
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