POLICE SWOOP DOWN ON ORANGE WALK BUSINESSES

– seize beverages, arrest many in joint operation with GPL

THE Guyana Police Force swooped down on businesses operating in Orange Walk, Bourda yesterday afternoon, seizing beverages and other items from shop owners as they effected a joint operation with the Loss Reduction Department of the Guyana Power and Light Inc.

Police at Sweet Point on Orange Walk

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that the power company was investigating reports received that businesses operating in Orange Walk, better known as “Sweet Point”, were stealing electricity or otherwise tampering with GPL connections, and GPL enlisted the support of the GPF in order to effectively investigate those reports.
This newspaper was also reliably informed that the joint operation uncovered nothing untoward in terms of illegal connection or tampered GPL installations.
The Guyana Police Force, nevertheless, arrested several persons and seized numerous cases of various beverages; among which were Stag beer, Banks beer, several local and foreign canned beers and other beverages, including rums and stouts.

Patrons at Sweet Point look on during the raid yesterday

It was not known, up to press time, why the beverages had been seized, whether the expiry dates of the beverages had been in order, whether they had been illegally obtained, or if the business operators had failed to produce relevant documentation in regard to retailing the beverages.
Yesterday’s operation saw several GPL and GPF vehicles taking over the entire stretch of Orange Walk between Regent Street and South Road. The area was immediately designated no-entry as police placed barricades at both ends of the stretch and stood guard as the searches were carried out.
Unlike similar operations across the city, there was no public resistance to the police operation, and persons cooperated with the police and the GPL workers.

(By Leroy Smith)