In less than a month, law enforcement officers have found more than 30 AK-47 rifles with ammunition, raising questions about how they were able to enter the country undetected and their purpose.
The finding of the high-powered weapons will bring back chilling memories of the 30 AK-47s and five pistols that disappeared from the armoury of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), with most of them being found in the hands of criminals during the hair-raising crime spree from 2002 to 2007.
Kiskadee Watch understands that it was a joint operation between the Guyana Police Force and the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) last Friday that resulted in 23 AK-47 rifles being found in a car at Schoonord, West Bank Demerara.
According to Crime Chief and Deputy Police Commissioner Wendell Blanhum, law enforcement officers intercepted the car with three persons but two of them managed to escape.
The third suspect, according to Blanhum, in his bid to escape was apprehended and placed in custody.
He said that the weapons are being examined by firearm experts from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID, Headquarters, Crime Laboratory whilst the suspect is being questioned by detectives.
The Crime Chief confirmed to the media that the weapons were manufactured in the USA and that the serial number for one remained intact.
“However, the other 21 rifles, the serial numbers were obliterated,” he said.
Friday’s weapons bust follows another on May 22nd that saw 10 AK-47s rifles being found during an operation conducted along No. 11 Village Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice.
A police statement at the time had said that during the operation, ranks were conducting a stop-and-search exercise along the Berbice River Bridge Access Road when a black Toyota Fielder Wagon motor car bearing registration number HC 9018 was stopped, during which the driver of the vehicle drove away from the ranks and escaped eastward.
Acting on information received, ranks later conducted a search along No. 11 Village Public Road, where ten AK-47 rifles were found wrapped in plastic and cloth.
The statement said that the firearms were examined and bore markings consistent with 7.62×39 mm rifles. It was also observed, the statement said, that sections of the firearms appeared to have been tampered with, suspected to have been done to obscure serial numbers.
Subsequent to the find Stephen Rajah, 33, a taxi driver of Back Street, Goed Fortuin Village, West Bank Demerara, was arrested and charged in connection with the high-powered weapons.
Police said Rajah was arrested on the same day of the find and he appeared on May 28, 2026, at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court, where the charge was read to him. He was not required to plead and was subsequently remanded to prison after bail was refused. The matter was adjourned to June 15, 2026.
And during the police’s continued investigation into the AK-47s, on June 5th two men were subsequently arrested in relation to the matter during a search at Farm, East Bank Demerara.
According to the release from the police, during the search 21-year-old Gregory Persaud of Farm Village, East Bank after the search revealed extended magazine, suspected to be for a 9mm firearm, was found in a clothes basket in his bedroom.
Another man, Antonio Alonzo Lawrie, 33-year-old man of Farm Village, East Bank Demerara was also arrested and both were subsequently charged with Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and remanded to prison.
And on December 22nd 2025 officers from CANU conducted an operation in the vicinity of Sheriff Street, Georgetown where they intercepted a suspect and found an AK-47 and other weapons.
A release from CANU last year said that a suspect was detained and a subsequent search led to the discovery of the AK-47 along with one magazine containing 19 rounds of 7.62×39 rounds, one Glock 17 pistol with one magazine containing seven 9 mm live rounds and one Taurus pistol with one magazine and no ammunition.
CANU had said that the suspect was arrested and taken to CANU Headquarters. Following a preliminary investigation, CANU said that it was learnt that the suspect is the holder of a firearm licence for the recovered Glock 17 pistol.
Thirty-two AKs
It was in February of 2006 that thirty AK-47s along with five pistols vanished from the GDF’s armoury at the base camp Ayanganna.
Over the years some twenty were recovered, most in the possession of criminals while others were discovered hidden.
It was suspected at the time that the guns had been stolen with the sole intention of placing them in the hands of criminals.
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