Three vendors were arrested and a number of firecrackers were seized during a police raid at the Stabroek Market on Saturday.
A statement from Police Headquarters noted that between 12:30hrs and 14:00hrs, two Assistant Superintendents, a Detective Corporal and a party of police ranks carried out a raid exercise at Stabroek Market, Georgetown.’
During the raid, several stands were searched for firecrackers and other illegal explosive devices.
The following persons were arrested and firecrackers were seized:
- Alisha Adams, a 31-year-old vendor of Meadowbrook Garden, Georgetown.
- Kishawna David, a 30-year-old vendor of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
- Shondell Alexander, a 26-year-old vendor of Leopold Street, Werk-en- Rust, Georgetown.
The vendors were taken to Brickdam Police Station and placed in custody. The firecrackers were lodged for further investigation.
And though it is not widely known, Guyana’s laws contain fines with the possibility of jail time if people are found in possession of these apparatus – fines as high as G$97,000.
Outlined in Chapter 16:06 of the Explosive Act of 2015, it states that “no explosives shall be kept for sale, or shall be stored for any purpose within the limits of the City of Georgetown and the town of New Amsterdam” without the permission of the Minister-in-charge.
The only agency with permission to do so is the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
And anyone found in breach will be subject to a G$97,500 fine with six-month imprisonment. The Act states further that persons who are not “wholesale or retail” dealers with permission from the Minister, that are found selling or offering or exposing the explosives to sale, will be fined $90,500.
It says too that persons must obtain a license to sell explosives on a wholesale basis, but this license would only be granted if there is evidence of sufficient fireproof storage capacity.
And that license must be displayed at the place of sale – “Licensed Retailer of Explosives”- and if not, that person can face a G$19,500 fine.
But despite this, the sale of fireworks and firecrackers are still rampant, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) announced that it will be clamping down on vendors.
