Police ranks from Regional Division #3 on Tuesday conducted raid exercises at Ruby backdam (squatting area), Greenwich Park, Peter Street and Parika First Koker, East Bank Essequibo where several male Venezuelan nationals were taken into custody in relation to the attack on a taxi driver at Ruby backdam.
Police Headquarters reported that the victim, Shon Smith, visited the Parika Police Station on Tuesday at about 13:45 hrs “but was unable to stand up due to the injuries to his neck sustained from the attack allegedly carried out by five Venezuelan nationals.”
According to the Police, Smith was shown photographs of 41 male Venezuelans but could not identify his attackers.
“An entry was later made in the station diary to that effect. As such, Police are continuing the search for the suspects.”
Smith, a 46-year-old taxi driver of Namyrck Parika, was attacked and severely beaten on November 12, at about 01:45 hrs.
According to the victim, he was driving along the Parika main road when he was stopped by the five Venezuelan men, who hired him to take them to Ruby backdam.
Smith told the police that while proceeding in Ruby backdam, one of the men pulled out a knife and started to chop him on his hand. The driver said he stopped the vehicle in the middle of the road and exited the car. The men also exited the vehicle and started to beat him and chop him, after which they ran away.
According to Jagmohan Singh, a 49-year-old farmer, at about 02:00 hrs, he was awoken from his sleep by a loud noise. He checked outside when he saw the victim lying down under his house shed with blood running down his body.
As a result, he immediately alerted his brother-in-law who, who took the victim into his car and transported him to the Leonora Cottage Hospital.
