Matthews Ridge gold heist accused for questioning in Georgetown
The four suspects, including a cop, who were arrested by the police in relation to the Matthews Ridge Airstrip robbery on Monday during which a quantity of raw gold was stolen will be escorted to the city today for further questioning.
A police source close to the investigation yesterday informed Stabroek News that the quartet will be further questioned by ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) upon their arrival in Georgetown.
The source noted that once the investigation is complete, investigators will proceed to obtain legal advice in relation to charges.
Among the other three suspects are a businessman and the alleged mastermind of the crime.
Police had arrested three suspects, including the policeman, shortly after the crime was committed around 1.30pm.
The fourth suspect was arrested sometime Tuesday evening.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the alleged mastermind knows the owner of the raw gold; Jairam Sukuram, a gold miner of Barama River.
He reportedly owns a business also and allegedly planned the crime based on his knowledge of Sukuram’s business and his transactions schedule.
Three men were attacked on Monday and robbed of over two kilogrammes of raw gold belonging to Sukuram while they were awaiting the arrival of a flight at the Matthews Ridge Airstrip.
The raw gold, this newspaper was told was handed by Sukuram to the men to deliver to the airstrip.
The victims were identified as Jose Da Costa, 58, a Brazilian national; Gary David of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara and Kevin Gomes, of Arakaka, North West District.
Da Costa and David are said to be employed with Sukuram while Gomes was the driver of the pick-up that transported them to the airstrip.
The crime was reportedly committed by four men armed with AK assault rifles and handguns.
Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan, in a press statement had said that the police acting on intelligence on Tuesday morning intercepted a vehicle at Arakaka, North West District.
Two of the suspects, a businessman and the alleged mastermind were arrested, the release had stated.
A search conducted on the vehicle unearthed several containers of fuel and a quantity of raw gold suspected to have been stolen during the ordeal.
During interrogation, the release noted that the suspects took investigators to a location where they handed over the following items: two 9mm handguns with magazines, an AK-47 rifle with a magazine, a quantity of ammunition, a Global Positioning System (GPS) device and a camouflage jacket.
“Based on further intelligence, a serving member of the Joint Services has been detained,” the statement added.
Sources had told Stabroek News that the rank is a member of the Guyana Police Force.
While the police statement did not provide any details of the robbery, Stabroek News was reliably informed that Sukuram handed over the raw gold to the trio on Monday to deliver to a waiting private chartered aircraft at the Matthews Ridge airstrip.
However, when the men arrived at the airstrip, the aircraft was not there. As a result, they parked the pick-up and sat in the building to wait on the aircraft. Whilst there, they were attacked.
Information reaching this newspaper revealed that the victims were held at gunpoint and tied up before the gunmen escaped with the raw gold.
David reportedly told the police that he managed to untie himself and informed the police.
The gunmen used the pick-up which transported the victims to the airstrip in their escape bid. Less than an hour after, the pick-up was found abandoned some distance away from the airstrip.