Fifteen now in custody over carjacking

-more vehicles found

Feb 15 2018

Source

As the police probe into a major carjacking ring widens, another  two persons were on Tuesday evening arrested and four other suspected stolen vehicles were seized at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Tuesday’s operation was one of  numerous  conducted by the police during the past several days and which have resulted in fifteen persons including an ex-policeman being in custody.

Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan in a press release yesterday confirmed the arrests of two individuals including a taxi driver on Tuesday during the operation which was commanded by a senior officer.

Acting on information, he said ranks swooped on a location at Yarrowkabra where a black Premio, PMM 6979, suspected to be stolen was found.

 

“Shortly after, the team went to another location in Yarrowkabra and arrested a 39 year-old taxi driver on whose premises two dirt bikes (a red and black Honda Tornado and a CRF Honda 150) suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, were found”, the release explained.

It further stated that as the search continued, a 22-year-old taxi driver of Chand Sand Road, Timehri who was apparently alerted of the police’s operation quickly handed over to the police at Timehri, a beige Spacio motor car # PPP 82, which he alleged was given to him to work taxi since last Thursday by a named individual who is in police custody.

The taxi driver was also arrested, the police added.

Prior to this, the police had carried out a 10-hour operation on Tuesday which ended at 3 am at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway during which six persons were arrested.

Two cars and a quantity of vehicle parts were also seized.

“Two motorcars along with a canter truck which is registered to a Barr Street, Kitty resident, loaded with a shell of silver Toyota Spacio and a quantity of vehicle parts, suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, were seized and lodged,”  a release on Tuesday had said.

 

The police had said it is believed  that these suspects are employed by an ex-policeman, who was among the other who were arrested over the weekend.

Last Friday evening, seven persons, including the ex-policeman and a Vryheid’s Lust North, East Coast Demerara couple, were taken into custody after the police discovered a quantity of suspected stolen vehicles and parts.

The items were recovered at two separate locations: Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and Vryheid’s Lust North.

Ranks of ‘A’ Division, acting on information received had swooped down on a property at Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and conducted a search that uncovered several vehicles and a quantity of parts, all suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.

At this location, the ex-policeman and four female suspects were arrested.

Meanwhile, ranks from the Major Crimes Unit arrested a couple at their Vryheid’s Lust North home after a quantity of Allion, Premio and Spacio parts, with engraved numbers, was found on their premises.

Additionally, the frames of another two vehicles were recovered by police at Swan, Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Sunday. The vehicles were completely stripped.

A source had previously related to this newspaper that investigators had applied for an extension to further detain the seven suspects who were arrested on Saturday and it was granted.

The vehicles are lodged at the Brickdam Police Station and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary.

Busted carjackers stole over 100 vehicles

Source:

-used some in ‘private hire’ service, demanded $24,000 a week from drivers  

Police were yesterday still trying to assess the scope of the recently dismantled carjacking ring whose operations stretched from East Coast Demerara to Linden.
Investigators believe that the gang included ex-policemen, several young taxi drivers, individuals with access to firearm, mechanics and bodywork specialists, women who acquired duplicate vehicle keys, and individuals who assisted in providing forged documents.
From the haul of vehicles and parts they have recovered so far, police believe that the gang stole hundreds of vehicles over the years.
Investigators have also recovered stolen motorcycles and at least one Bobcat.
According to sources, most of the vehicles were stolen in Georgetown and stashed in areas along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway with rough terrain and are difficult to access.
Police say that one of the key players in the operation is a former policeman, who allegedly rented out the stolen cars to young taxi drivers. The former policeman is reportedly before the court on an armed robbery charge.
One of his main accomplices is said to be a Lodge Housing Scheme resident whose home police raided on Wednesday night.
There, police seized a black Mazda Axela, licence number PTT 2794, and 12 certificates of registration. They also detained a 52-year-old woman.
Police have arrested at least 16 suspects so far, among them several taxi drivers and three women.
The stolen vehicles were stashed in areas such as Kuru Kururu, Yarrowkabra and Monument Hill on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
There some were stripped, registration numbers removed, refitted with parts from other vehicles, repainted, and equipped with false number plates.
Sources identified a truck owner known as ‘Crime Chief’, who helped to dismantle and transport the vehicles and spares.
At least one of the ringleaders, said to be the detained ex-cop, allegedly gave young men in these communities these vehicles to operate, while demanding they bring in $24,000 a week.
“The drivers would work in those areas, out of sight of the police,” a source said.
When investigators began to track down the vehicles, they even found a Bobcat that had been stripped of its parts. They also found a ‘graveyard’ of vehicle doors, and the shells of several vehicles.
So far, at least two owners have identified their vehicles.
One victim is a University of Guyana lecturer who was robbed last August, of his Toyota Allion in front of his Bel Air home.
According to sources, some of the female accomplices assisted in the stealing of rental cars. The women would reportedly rent the vehicles and then acquire duplicate keys.
After returning the cars, they would give the gang members the keys and the licence numbers and description of the vehicles.
But investigators believe that the gang had assistance from individuals who helped them to procure documents such as bogus certificates of registration.
Speaking to Kaieteur News following the opening of the Police Officers’ Conference, Ministry of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan stated that some former members of the Force provided ‘guidance’ to the carjackers.
“I understand that these carjackers were being advised by former policemen. And you know when good cops turn bad, and are advisers to criminals, you will take a longer process to catch these carjackers. We have now broken it.”
Ramjattan said that “community policing coming to the fore” assisted in dismantling the gang.
“Those community members in and around the East Bank managed to get information, because they saw the cars parking up.”
But he said that others in the communities “saw and did nothing. We understand that some of them were being paid, and this kind of thing, when you are being paid (and with) ex cops giving advice, it’s going to be difficult, but we’ve cracked it and that’s good.”
On Tuesday, police ranks arrested two more persons. They also seized a black Premio PMM 6979, which is suspected to be stolen. The vehicles were found during searches at Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
Shortly after, the team went to another location in Yarrowkabra and arrested a 39 year-old taxi driver on whose premises two dirt bikes were found.
Also, a 22-year-old taxi driver of Chand Sand Road, Timehri, handed a beige Spacio motorcar # PPP 82, which he alleged was given to him to drive by an individual who is in police custody.
Earlier in the week, ‘A’ Division ranks arrested the ex-policeman who is an alleged ringleader and six others at Yarrowkabra.
They also seized at least two cars and a truck laden with spares.
The Canter truck that the police seized was loaded with the shell of a silver Toyota Spacio and a quantity of vehicle parts.
A release said that a Barr Street, Kitty resident owns the truck.
Tuesday’s operation occurred just three days after police seized several stolen vehicle parts during raids at North Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara and Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
A former policeman, a husband and wife and four women were detained in that raid.
At North Vryheid’s Lust, the Major Crimes Investigation Unit arrested a 29-year-old taxi driver and his 25-year-old wife.
There, the ranks retrieved several car mirrors, with engraved licence plate numbers; doors, lights, wipers and other vehicle parts for Toyota Allion, Spacio and Premio motorcars.