Armed robberies, assaults on increase

There is an increase in robberies and assaults, both with the use of guns, senior officers in the Northern Division said yesterday, during a media briefing following the seizure of three guns and 45 rounds of assorted ammunition. 

During the briefing, Supt Hendron Moses said there is an increase in offences in the division, while his junior Insp Naim Gyan added that there is also an increase in the number of illegal guns recovered. 

For the year in that division, 41 guns have been recovered including the three they displayed yesterday. For the same period last year, officers recovered 38 guns.

Head of the Division Senior Supt Simbonath Rajkumar congratulated the officers for their work in recovering the guns, specifically the Mac-10, 9mm and .380 revolver that were on display. 

Rajkumar added that the public should also be thanked for providing information to the public which he urged them to continue doing. 

Both Rajkumar and Moses added that the information that they received from the public will be treated with confidentiality. 

Moses said: “Within the past couple weeks we have been having an upsurge in criminal activities in the division...At some point in time the criminal element has a way of amalgamating to execute their criminal activities. 

“The public is supporting us and we are here to let the public know, whatever it takes for us to give them that level of satisfaction, we are here for the long haul. 

“With the commitment of the police officers in our division, we are one step ahead, I can assure you.”

Rajkumar urged businessmen who want to withdraw large sums of cash from banks to contact them to avoid making themselves targets. He said that officers are willing to provide escort to and from the banks when businessmen are seeking to withdraw large sums. 

Regarding a video recording of three well-dressed armed men entering the property in Trincity, believed to be police officers, Moses said the matter is being investigated and the owner of the house whose home was broken into by one of the men is assisting police with their investigations.