Although the Guyana Police Force remains tight lipped on the recent discovery of 23 AK-47 assault rifles along with a quantity of ammunition at Schoonard on the West Bank of Demerara, investigators have been actively pursuing multiple leads as part of the probe.
Two Venezuelan nationals have been arrested and charged so far in connection with the bust of the high-powered assault rifles.
In a statement on Monday, the Guyana Police Force indicated that 54-year-old Venezuelan national, Juan Felipe Gonzales was charged and remanded to prison for the offence of conspiracy to commit a felony.
The Police confirmed that the charge against Gonzales relates to the alleged possession of firearms and ammunition without a license. The man was arrested last Thursday, seven days after the discovery of the weapons.
Last Monday, 27-year-old Venezuelan national, Jonathan David Gans, was charged and remanded to prison in connection with the same AK-47 bust. Gans was arrested on the 11th June, which was the same day that the bust was made. He was charged with the possession of firearms without a license.
News Source understands that local investigators are pursuing a number of other leads as they go after additional suspects, who are all believed to be Venezuelan nationals.
Sources close to senior security officials have expressed some concern about the smuggling of the high-powered weapons into Guyana and the planned use. Investigators are reportedly concerned that the guns are being smuggled to arm criminal gangs here that may have ties to Venezuela.
The 23 AK-47 high powered rifles were found by the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit during one of its drug trafficking operations. CANU handed over the weapons and the main suspect to the Police, allowing the Police to take the lead with the investigations.
The Schoonard bust followed a similar find of AK-47 weapons in the Berbice area during a Police road block. Those weapons are also believed to be linked to a gun smuggling ring with several Venezuelan nationals involved.
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