Three men have been placed into custody pending an investigation after they were caught with four blank COVID-19 vaccination books, 17 stamped sick leave forms and other medical equipment including a stethoscope, a blood sugar testing kit and a blood pressure testing kit.
The men are aged 24, 42 and 37 years old.
According to a police report, a female nurse who is attached to the Vreed-en-Hoop Health Centre on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) was approached by two of the suspects at around 11:00 hrs on Tuesday.
Those two men asked her to stamp two of the two COVID-19 ‘blue books’ and told her that the third man was waiting to take them to the Diamond Hospital on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
The nurse, however, checked the books and observed that they were all blank. She realised that the men were not authorised to have these blank books in their possessions and as such, she immediately brought the issue to the attention of her supervisor.
That supervisor subsequently reported the matter to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
Following the report, three suspects were contacted and arrested at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and were escorted to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
The police report stated that during questioning, police ranks conducted a search of the car owned by the third suspect and found: one black and gold stethoscope, the blank sick leave forms which were all stamped with the West Demerara Regional Hospital stamp, and another one blue COVID-19 vaccination book which was not stamped bearing the name and address of a person.
Subsequently, police officers went to the home of the third suspect (in his presence) and conducted further searches. Then, the blood pressure testing machine and the blood sugar testing machine were found in his bedroom.
The man was questioned about the items and he stated that he bought them in Georgetown. Police, however, noted that the man could not produce any receipt for them. As such, these items were immediately seized.
Searches were done at the other two suspects’ homes but it was reported that nothing of evidential value was found.
The three suspects were all escorted back to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station and placed into custody pending further investigation.
