Suspects escape from CANU ranks during high-speed chase

– car smashes through gate of DHB

Agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) were reportedly in pursuit of a motorcar suspected to have been carrying illegal drugs in the wee hours of Sunday but the car managed to evade the well-trained members of the drug enforcement unit.

The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) office in Georgetown

According to information received, the high-speed chase commenced along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) roadways around 01:20h sometime after the CANU ranks had been “tailing” the vehicle that contained an undisclosed number of occupants.
According to a senior police source, the CANU agents had contacted the police in D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) shortly after 01:00h on Sunday to have them cordon off the area at the other end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
“They wanted the police here to help to close off the route at the bridge so that the people could not escape. Basically, to block off the access of the bridge from the suspects, and to set up ranks in the perimeter at the end of the bridge on our side. Even though we did what they requested as soon as they notified us, the people got away.”
The suspects escaped from the narcotics agents by smashing through the gate on the northern side of the Harbour Bridge, damaging the infrastructure, before proceeding along the West Coast of Demerara.
Police in D Division would have established a roadblock where a number of vehicles were stopped and searched but the getaway vehicle was not spotted.
Hours after, it was discovered at the home of a mechanic who owns and operates a “bodywork repair” shop at Vreed-en-Hoop.
Commander of D Division, Senior Superintendent Linden Lord, when contacted about the matter on Sunday afternoon told Guyana Times that the mechanic was not arrested or detained since he was not at home at the time when the car was discovered.
“We have to go back at the location when he is home so that we can bring him in for questioning. So that we can know how he ended up with the car and other details,” Commander Lord noted.
Attempts to contact the Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit for a comment proved futile.