Police investigating gunplay after mining camp invasion

The police in Region 10 have started an investigation in which gunmen invaded a mining camp in the Upper Berbice area, in an apparent dispute. During the invasion on Wednesday, at the Iron Mountain camp, an area off the Unamco road, near the Demerara Timbers concession, there were shots fired in what workers said was a clear attempt to bully them to remove from the area. A senior official was assaulted during the incident. According to a camp manager, the operation was a prospecting one with about 17 workers. The camp was being managed by a businessman known as ‘Sunna’. It was explained that the mining block was controlled by a man named ‘Benson’ who acquired it through the

Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.

Permission was apparently granted to ‘Sunna’ and another man called ‘Adolphus’ and ‘Isaacs’ to work in separate areas. “These guys say they own the land. They don’t care about Mr. Benson,” one of the workers explained. On Saturday, heavily armed men came with someone and attempted to remove ‘Sunna’ and his prospecting operations. “They try drawing a boundary line and saying we in dem land. However, a ranger who works for Mr ‘Benson’ said that they have no right to make those decisions. They left.” On Wednesday afternoon, about 4pm, workers in the camp heard rapid gunfire and on racing out towards the sound, they were told by another worker that gunmen were coming. In minutes, a group, of six men, heavily armed with AR rifles and other big guns, were in the camp. “They rush into the camp. They had Adolphus, Braithwaite, a man we know as ‘Fathead’ and another man name ‘Duncan’ in the group.” According to a worker, the men had taken away an AR rifle from their security guard and had it. “Mr. Adolphus came up to ‘Sunna’ and slapped him. He fall down.” The gunmen saw the cook videoing the scene and rushed up to her. “They slap she and tek away her phone and stamp on it.” However, another worker was videoing the unfolding situation.

(Kaieteur News)