Essequibo shopkeeper busted with gun, narcotics

Police in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have arrested a shopkeeper after he was found with an illegal firearm, several rounds of matching ammunition, and a quantity of narcotics.
Police stated that the suspect, 39-year-old Troy Fordyce of Charity Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, is known to law enforcement.
According to information received, Police acting on information went to Charity Market Street and arrested the man at about 10:00h on Sunday.
On arrival, the officers observed Fordyce standing next to a corner shop, and upon seeing them, he walked towards the back of the shop, placed a shiny object under a board, and walked away.
The Police apprehended Fordyce and escorted him to the back of the shop, where they retrieved an unlicensed 9mm (.380 auto) pistol and one magazine with several rounds of ammunition from under a board. The serial number on the firearm was filed off.
Fordyce was told of the offence committed, cautioned, and he denied the firearm belonged to him. He was arrested and escorted to the Charity Police Station, where the gun was marked, sealed, placed in an evidence bag, in his presence and lodged.
As investigations progressed, the ranks later escorted Fordyce to his shop at Charity Market Street and conducted a search for narcotics and unlawful articles in the presence of his reputed wife. However, nothing unlawful was found.
They then went to the suspect’s home at Charity Housing Scheme for a search to be conducted, to which he agreed. During the search, Police found a crossbody bag in one of the bedrooms.
When checked, eight small transparent zip-lock plastic bags containing a pink powdery substance and one transparent plastic bag containing five pink rocklike substances – all suspected to be Ecstasy (Methamphetamine) – were found in the crossbody bag.
Additionally, three transparent plastic bags containing a quantity of ‘Fronto’ leaves were also found in a clothes basket in the bedroom.
Following these discoveries, Fordyce was escorted to the Charity Police Station, where the suspected Ecstasy was weighed in his presence and amounted to 6.71 grams.
According to the Police, Fordyce was previously charged with possession of narcotics in September 2022.
He remains in custody pending investigation and charges.