GRA officers shot at Bee Hive during anti-smuggling operation

-two arrested for questioning

June 9 2018

Source

The Bee Hive, East Coast Demerara house where the enforcement officers were conducting their operation when they came under fire

Two Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) enforcement officers were wounded after they came under gunfire on Thursday night as they were about to conduct an anti-smuggling operation at Bee Hive, East Coast Demerara.

Ricky Chowbay and Roopnarine Singh were shot to the right and left hand, respectively, during a shootout with unknown persons who opened fire on them. They were both rushed to a private hospital, where they were treated and then released.

Two persons have since been arrested.

Stabroek News was reliably informed that acting on intelligence, Chowbay and Singh went to Bee Hive to search a house for uncustomed goods when they came under fire around 9.50 pm.

“Investigations revealed that soon after the officers arrived at a house and were making enquiries of its owner, two vehicles approached and the occupants discharged several rounds at them,” the Guyana Police Force said in a press release on the shooting yesterday.

It added that the officers took up tactical positions and returned fire and as a result the vehicles sped away.

The operation was aborted as a result of the shooting.

A police source yesterday confirmed that GRA officials returned to the house yesterday afternoon and a search was carried out and two persons were arrested. They were taken to GRA’s Customs Headquarters for questioning.