GANG SMASHED …Eight Berbicians nabbed for Corentyne killings

…gun, other items found
…suspects aged- 19-34

POLICE have arrested eight Berbician males for the killing of a Berbice businessman on Wednesday and investigators believe that the group might be behind a string of other criminal activities that have blighted the Upper and Lower Corentyne region.

Up to press time the eight men,with ages ranging from 19-34 years,were being grilled at a police station in Berbice. The police have also managed to recover a gun,believed to be the weapon used in the robbery,at the home of one of the suspects. The weapon, a .32 snub-nosed revolver,was found at a home in Hampshire. Ballistic tests will be conducted to determine if indeed the weapon was used in the robbery.

Among the suspects detained are: Abdul Azimulla of Hampshire Village,at whose home the gun was found;Shannon Batson of Rose Hall Town,who was seen with the motorcycle prior to the robbery; Satesh Mahadeo 19, called “Baba” of Hampshire Village; Zaher Abdul,28,called “Gold Teeth”; Dinesh Mallay, 19,called “Dutty”; Mark Doman called “Marky” of 190 Nigg,driver of the getaway car and two other suspects.

According to information received, several of the suspects were recently released from prison.In addition, the police have impounded a Toyota Premio PVV 9465,said to have been used as the getaway vehicle,after the bandits ditched their motor cycle at Friendship village. The bike was also recovered on Wednesday afternoon. The men in custody are believed to have played a part in planning the robbery, while two of the suspects executed the robbery.

Divisional commander, Ian Amsterdam,said that the bike was stolen on 2nd of February, 2017 in Belvedere. The bike’s number plate was given as CH 9999;however the bandits used a fake plate. Among the suspects detained is the person who allegedly made the fake plate; the person at whose home the bike was being kept prior to the robbery, as well as a lad who was used to purchase gas for the bike and the driver of the getaway car, among others.

Additionally, surveillance footage from a business within the general area, where Jagdeo had earlier delivered cards,reportedly showed a car fitting the description of the one impounded by police,slowly trailing the businessman.

Amsterdam noted that his ranks worked throughout the night and managed to put the pieces together to strike early Thursday morning. “We were able to get details such as where the bike was being kept, who planned the robbery and where the weapon was kept before the robbery…we took one of the suspects back to the home where the weapon was kept and were able to retrieve it,” the commander said.

Meanwhile, in a statement,police said a post-mortem examination of Jagdeo’s body revealed that he died as a result of hemorrhagic shock due to gunshot injuries. Two warheads were extracted from the body. In respect of the murder of Leelawattie Mohamed, of Tain Settlement, Corentyne, on Tuesday, a post-mortem was also performed on the body on Thursday and the cause of death was given as shock and haemorrhage due to gunshot wounds, laceration of the brain and fractured skull. A 25 year old Tain, Corentyne resident is in custody assisting with the investigation.

Businessman Danian Jagdeo, known as ‘Damion,’ was shot three times at point-blank range in a shop at Adventure Village,Berbice. The 36-year-old father of four of Lot 12, Section G, King Street, Williamsburg, Corentyne, was a phone card agent, who serviced the entire East Berbice, Corentyne area from Moleson Creek to New Amsterdam.

At approximately 15:30hrs on Wednesday, he was making his rounds when he stopped at the Country Chef Food Shop and Soman’s Grocery in Adventure village. This newspaper understands that one of two bandits followed Jagdeo inside the shop and immediately opened fire on him. He was shot in the region of the abdomen, chest and back. He was taken to the Anamayah Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The gunman relieved Jagdeo of a bag, which contained an undisclosed sum of cash and a quantity of phone cards, before escaping with his accomplice, who was waiting on a motorcycle some distance away.

Jagdeo leaves to mourn his wife and four children.

Investigations are ongoing.