Commercial banks restrict staffers’ phone use

Mar 06, 2018 News

A programme to pay informants for details of criminal activities has been established.
The disclosure was made yesterday by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, during a press conference on the 42nd anniversary of Community Police Groups (CPG) in Guyana.
The Minister was being asked about concerns over the recent spate of robberies of persons leaving commercial banks.
Persons have been trailed, shot and killed. It appeared the bandits even knew where people lived and were even waiting for their victims.
According to Ramjattan, he has asked the Commissioner of Police (ag), David Ramnarine, to carry out sting operations to catch the bandits.
However this will require information.
Already, the commercial banks are carrying out their own investigations to determine whether any staffers are involved.
Staffers are not allowed phones on their person while they are paying out customers.
There are indications that businesses are telling family members and even allowing neighbours or others to know when they withdrawing a large amount of cash from the bank.
Urging for more information from the communities, Ramjattan was insistent that people know who are involved but are unwilling or scared to talk.
He cited the recent cracking of gangs involved in carjackings with bases located in the Soesdyke and Timehri area. While neighbours appeared to have suspicions, it appeared that it was information coming from members of Community Policing Groups that helped cracked the cases.
Several cars were recovered in one of the biggest cases in recent times. Several persons, including ex-cops, were charged.
Ramjattan bemoaned the fact that family members know. He pointed to a recent case last week in Berbice were two men were shot dead by police after a robbery raid on a ranch. Surely family members knew.
The Minister also tagged the importance of information in breaking gangs like the incidents of piracy in Berbice.
Based on information, police were able to carry out surveillance on suspects and later arrests were made.
The official also admitted that there were cases of even members of the CPGs sharing information with criminals, giving advance warnings.