A surveyor attached to the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) was on Sunday found chopped to death during a robbery at Arumu Backdam in the Cuyuni riverine community of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Dead is Ricky Ambrose, who had also been a ranger for the past 20 years. His body, bearing lacerations, was found some distance away from the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) he had been using at the time. Reports are that his licensed firearm and a quantity of raw gold and cash are also missing. Ambrose had been well known to all in that populated area and in other mining districts in the country.
The GGDMA has also learnt that Police visited the area only on Monday, to process the scene and remove the body. The GGDMA has since lashed out at the GPF’s response efforts, claiming that the area where the incident occurred is not far from Bartica.
Dead: Ricky Ambrose
“The GGDMA would like to express its condolences to the family and friends of the late Ricky Ambrose, and calls on the authorities to have a proper investigation into this incident”, a GGDMA press release has said. In the meantime, the GGDMA has called on the relevant authorities to put proper systems in place at the borders, in order to negate all criminal activities.
It was reported only last week in a section of the media that members of the Joint Service have intensified security efforts at Five Star Backdam in the North West District (NWD) of Region One, following reports of the presence there of a marauding Venezuelan gang. Five Star Backdam is a mining community located close to the Guyana-Venezuela Border and the community of Imataka in Venezuela.
The report stated that miners and other business persons working in the community are being forced to leave, after a marauding Venezuelan gang invaded the area on November 30, 2022.
“Miners and business persons alike have called on the law enforcement authorities to intervene and protect them from the heavily armed gang of more than 30 persons,” the report added.
