In a coordinated law enforcement operation carried out Thursday afternoon in the Berbice region of Guyana, two 23-year-old men have been taken into custody following the recovery of two illegal 9mm handguns and a single round of ammunition, authorities confirmed in an update published Friday. Guyanese law enforcement agencies reported that the seizure unfolded shortly after 4 p.m. in the Dukestown area of Corriverton, when agents from the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) were conducting patrols near the local seawall along the Corentyne River.
During their observation of the area, CANU teams spotted a small wooden craft carrying four unidentified men on the river, while two additional men waited on the seawall shore, each holding a sealed black box. As soon as the uniformed law enforcement agents approached the pair and identified themselves as authorities, the two men immediately discarded their boxes and made an attempt to escape on foot. At the same time, the four men on the wooden boat accelerated the vessel and fled further up the Corentyne River, evading capture so far.
Responding officers quickly pursued the two fleeing suspects on shore and successfully apprehended both within a short time frame. Investigators then opened the discarded boxes in the presence of the arrested men, revealing two unregistered 9mm ZORAKI pistols and one live round of ammunition matched to the weapons.
The two suspects, a local businessman who resides in Dukestown and a day laborer from nearby Springlands, Corriverton, were transported to the Springlands Police Station to be processed. The seized firearms and ammunition have been placed into police custody as material evidence for the ongoing investigation. As of Friday afternoon’s official update, both men remain in detention, with law enforcement yet to announce formal charges. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the origin of the illegal weapons, their intended use, and the identities and whereabouts of the four men who escaped on the river.