3 Guyana police accused in mining camp heist

Police have rounded up at least seven persons who were involved in a staged robbery, in which millions of dollars in cash and raw gold were stolen from a local gold buyer.
The police have also recovered the loot which comprised about $40M cash and 90 ounces of raw gold in what has been described as excellent investigative work.
The heist reportedly took place on Friday at Port Kaituma in the North West District and was reportedly masterminded by an employee of the gold buyer.
According to reports reaching this newspaper, the employee was entrusted by the gold buyer to conduct his business in the gold mining area of the North West District.
However, the employee betrayed the trust by first converting some of the money he was given to his own use.
He then had to find a way to recover it and in order to do so, he hatched a plan.
According to a source, he arranged with a well known convict called “Roland” from Blairmont, Berbice, to carry out his plan which was to stage an attack on the camp he and other workers were staying in at Port Kaituma and steal the gold.
The source said that the convict hired his crew, including a boatman, to transport him to Port Kaituma through the Pomeroon River.
It is alleged that the mastermind somehow managed to administer sleeping tablets to his colleagues in the camp to facilitate the heist; so when “Roland” and his crew turned up it was easy pickings for them.
They proceeded to tie up the employees who by then were very groggy; they even lashed one of them in his head and also tied up the mastermind to make the ‘robbery’ appear to be ‘legit’.
After this was done, they emptied a safe containing the cash and raw gold before making good their escape, heading back to Charity on the Essequibo Coast.
However, about five minutes from their destination, the boat captain demanded his share of the loot and after collecting it he transferred “Roland” and his crew to another boat for them to continue their journey.
They did not get too far, for by this time the police at Port Kaituma had been informed about the heist and had begun some intense investigations there.
Kaieteur News understands that during their investigations, the mastermind of the whole scheme cracked under pressure.
He reportedly confessed to planning the heist and gave detectives a detailed account of the staged robbery, including the names of all the players involved.
Armed with the information provided, the police at Port Kaituma quickly alerted their counterparts on the Essequibo Coast who managed to apprehend the escaping crew members with most of the loot.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) A police official in Guyana says that three fellow officers have been arrested on suspicion of helping in a mining camp theft of about $350,000 in cash and 90 ounces of gold.

Deputy Police Chief Seelall Persaud said that thieves took the money and gold on Friday from the locally owned El Dorado Mining Company camp, which is located near the Venezuelan border. Police were able to recover most of the money and some of the gold.

Persaud says that the officers will likely face charges of aiding and abetting a crime.

Four others were detained for their alleged role in the crime.

Two people who were working were apparently sprayed with a substance that knocked them unconscious during the break-in.

Persaud disclosed details of the theft on Monday.