Tag: security

Belvedere families to gain security as government moves to regularise long-standing squatting areas

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Families in Belvedere North, Region Six, are closer to receiving formal land titles following a commitment from Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal, during a community meeting on Thursday.

Parts of Belvedere North—particularly the Old Housing Scheme—have faced decades of land uncertainty.

The area, originally laid out in 1997, included 35 swamp-classified lots that went unallocated for years.

Over time, 20 families occupied the location, establishing homes despite the absence of legal ownership.

Minister Croal told residents that the government is now ready to move forward.

“We will regularise the Belvedere area,” he said.

A recent survey confirmed that 35 lots are suitable for residential use and have been approved. However, nine families living directly beneath a major electrical line will need to be relocated for safety.

The announcement comes after significant preparatory work by the Ministry’s Community Development Department. Block inventories and occupation surveys are already complete, and the final design—completed by Surveyor Mr. Travis Fields—is expected to be finished by November 19, 2025.

Paals will be placed on November 20 to clearly demarcate each household’s boundary. Once this step is concluded, the Ministry will proceed to compile the final plan for official recording.

Minister Croal noted that he intends to return to Belvedere soon.

“Once that’s completed, the final plan will be recorded. I will return for the signing of the Agreements of Sale,” he assured the residents.

While most households are on track for regularisation, the nine located under the 69KVA power line reserve cannot be granted titles. The Guyana Power & Light Inc. (GPL) has advised that the high-voltage section must be kept clear. Minister Croal stressed that these families will receive assistance with relocation to ensure their safety and continuity.

Other communities in Region Six, including Port Mourant Block 6, are also advancing through long-standing regularisation processes. Although the area has a complex history of settlement dating back to surveys from 2000, the Ministry expects to finalise its layout by November 30, 2025.

For Belvedere residents, the latest announcement marks a significant step toward stability.

Many have lived on the land for more than a decade—maintaining their plots, raising families, and contributing to the neighbourhood.

Regularisation now offers them an opportunity for security, dignity and legal ownership after years of uncertainty.

Guyana, Colombia sign aerial surveillance pact to boost regional security

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Colombia’s Ministry of National Defense have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in aerial surveillance, intelligence sharing and regional security.

The agreement, announced this week, is aimed at combating illicit activities, improving situational awareness and enhancing both countries’ ability to safeguard their airspaces.

Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS, Chief of Defence Staff of the GDF, said the partnership marks a significant step in Guyana’s national defence strategy. “This collaboration deepens our ability to protect Guyana’s sovereignty and supports broader regional stability,” Khan said.

General Luis Carlos Córdoba Avendaño, Commander of the Colombian Aerospace Force, welcomed the accord and stressed the importance of information sharing, joint training and coordinated responses. Regional collaboration, he said, is vital to addressing shared security challenges.

The signing ceremony was attended by a high-level GDF delegation including Colonel Kenlloyd Roberts, Colonel Lorraine Foster, Colonel Lloyd Souvenir, Lieutenant Colonel Natasha Stanford and Commander Roger Nurse. On the Colombian side, General Córdoba Avendaño was accompanied by senior military officials responsible for international cooperation. The ambassadors of both countries were also present.

Under the MoU, Guyana and Colombia will undertake technical exchanges, joint training programmes and the deployment of advanced surveillance technologies. The initiative aligns with the GDF’s modernisation agenda and its commitment to regional security.

The accord represents a milestone in Guyana’s defence diplomacy and lays the groundwork for deeper strategic cooperation with Colombia as both countries confront increasingly complex security challenges.

Sheriff Security guard stabbed to death by colleague, suspect arrested

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

A 63-year-old Sheriff Security guard, Paul Devonish, was stabbed and killed on Monday evening during a confrontation on Barrack Street, Kingston.

Police said Devonish was attacked at around 18:30 hrs by fellow security guard Nicosie Clement, 29, who has since been arrested. Investigators said the fatal stabbing followed an earlier altercation Devonish had with an 18-year-old Sheriff Security guard at the same location.

According to police, Devonish had assaulted the teenager and taken away a female colleague’s mobile phone, prompting the teenager to leave his post and report the matter to his mother, Vanessa Jones, who was on duty elsewhere with Clement.

Later that evening, as the teenager and Clement were returning to collect the teenager’s lunch bag, Devonish allegedly confronted them on an electric bike and threatened him. A scuffle then broke out between Devonish and Clement, during which Clement pulled a knife from her trouser pocket and stabbed Devonish in his left upper thigh.

Devonish collapsed on the roadway and bled profusely before being picked up by EMTs and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police said Clement fled the scene, allegedly disposed of the knife in the Lamaha Trench, and was later arrested at the teenager’s home. She has since confessed during a video/audio interview to stabbing Devonish.

Investigations are ongoing as police continue to question witnesses and collect statements.

Intelligence chief: ‘National security is everyone’s business’

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

“National security is everyone’s business,” says Colonel Sheldon Howell, Director of Guyana’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), which plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the nation and serves as the central coordinating body for intelligence gathering and analysis.

Speaking on Episode 4 of Safeguarding Our Nation, aired Monday, Howell — who also chairs the National Defense Institute Advisory Board — outlined the agency’s efforts to protect the country.

NISA integrates multiple agencies, technologies, and strategic partnerships to support the country’s security framework. It works in conjunction with the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit, Prison and Fire Services, Special Organised Crime Unit, and the Guyana Revenue Authority.

“When drones spotted illegal airstrips and mining camps deep in Region Nine, we were able to deploy teams quickly to shut down those illegal operations. When Venezuelan illegal vessels crossed into our waters, we have radar systems and coastal surveillance systems along with GPS tap patrols that let us intercept these vessels and protect our territory,” Howell said.

He added that the agency uses CCTV and the city’s e-ticketing system to help reduce traffic violations and assist with criminal investigations.

According to Howell, ordinary citizens are central to the national security framework, which deploys tools including drones, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and data platforms for swift response to threats across land, air, sea, and cyberspace.

Addressing privacy concerns, Howell stressed the agency’s commitment to respecting civil liberties. “We stick rigidly to the laws that govern us. Every piece of equipment is logged and audited, and there is no access to footage without traceability. We also have strict access control and oversight systems. Soon, we’ll have an oversight Board with civil society voices,” he said.

He said the agency aims to earn public trust through disciplined and purpose-driven use of technology. “The tools are not threats,” he added.

In addition to domestic efforts, NISA shares intelligence with international partners including the United States and United Kingdom.

Howell also highlighted the broader security strategy being advanced through the National Defense Institute, an initiative led by President Irfaan Ali. The institute unites the military, academia, private sector, civil society, and Caribbean neighbours to address shared threats and develop national and regional security policy.

The goal is for a stronger, more unified response to today’s complex security challenges, Howell said.

Security guard robs Fantasy Game Lounge of $13M

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Police are investigating the alleged armed robbery of G$13.1 million, the property of Sylvia Thomas, which occurred on Sunday at about 05:30 hrs at the Fantasy Game Lounge, located at Giftland Mall, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara.

The robbery was reportedly carried out by a 24-year-old armed security guard attached to Castle Security, who was on duty at the Fantasy Game Lounge at the time. The suspect was armed with a security service-issued 9mm pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition.

Raywat Sankar, 21, a supervisor, was also on duty at the Fantasy Game Lounge during the incident.

Preliminary investigations revealed that around the time of the incident, Sankar exited the cashier area to assist the 27-year-old female floor supervisor in cleaning the gaming area, as there were no customers present.

The suspect, armed with the 9mm pistol, approached both Sankar and the floor supervisor, drew the weapon, pointed it in their direction, and discharged a round into the air. He then demanded that Sankar open the electronic door to the cashier area.

Sankar complied, after which the suspect ordered both him and the female supervisor into the cashier’s room. He then instructed Sankar to open the vault and place all the cash into a garbage basket. The suspect subsequently exited the building with the cash.

CCTV footage from Giftland Mall showed the suspect walking along the Giftland access road, turning west onto the Railway Embankment, and entering a motorcar bearing registration number PZZ 5690, which then drove off in a westerly direction.

Detectives who processed the scene recovered one 9mm spent shell.

Attempts to locate the suspect have so far been unsuccessful. A search of his residence was conducted, but no cash was found. Efforts are also underway to locate the vehicle involved.

Further investigations are ongoing.

US wants to make sure Guyana has necessary security amid tensions with Venezuela

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will discuss energy security in the Caribbean, illegal immigration and dismantling of transnational criminal networks during a trip to the region later this week, State Department officials said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a briefing, US Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone told reporters that U.S. accusations about a labour programme that sends Cuban workers, particularly medics, overseas was also going to be among the topics that Rubio will tackle with his counterparts.
Washington has threatened to halt visas for government officials in countries that receive Cuban doctors, whom it says are being exploited. In response, many Caribbean leaders have said they adhere to international labor standards and that the medical services Cubans provide are essential.
According to an internal memo seen by Reuters earlier this month, a number of small Caribbean nations with citizen-by-investment (CBI) programs could also see wider visa restrictions.
“CBI should not be a major part of these smaller islands’ GDP,” Claver-Carone said, saying these attract “nefarious actors from China, Iran and other countries into the Americas, which then becomes a security challenge for all of us.”
President Donald Trump has floated a similar program, in which foreigners could access U.S. citizenship via a $5 million “gold card.”
On energy, Claver-Carone also signaled Washington would support oil production in Guyana and Suriname, and that it wanted to “make sure that Guyana has the security necessary” amid a territorial controversy with neighbouring Venezuela.
“That’ll be where a lot of our conversations will be focused,” he said of developing the region’s oil output, adding that Washington does not see renewables as a substitute.
Despite producing few emissions, the Caribbean’s high debt loads and low-lying geography make it among the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impacts of climate change.
Trump on Monday issued an executive order declaring that any country buying oil or gas from Venezuela, which has historically exported its oil across the Caribbean, will pay a 25 per cent tariff on trade with the US. (Reuters)

More body cameras to monitor, improve police-public interactions- Home Affairs Ministry

Posted on by Editor

The Ministry of Home Affairs has procured an additional 500 body cameras to be used by security forces during interactions with the public. This now brings the total number of body cameras procured by the Ministry to 800. 

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn made the revelation Tuesday during his end of year press conference where he told media operatives that state agencies such the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) would be outfitted with the video and audio devices.

Benn explained that cameras were procured as part of steps to improve interactions between the police and the public and to also provide evidence relating to said interactions. The Minister noted that in the past, questions have been raised about police professionalism and conduct when engaging the public. The cameras are used therefore to capture digital audio-video evidence that could be used in criminal, civil, and traffic-related court cases. 

Since the implementation of the body camera system, assault on police men and women, and instances of ranks being prevented from executing their duties have “reduced dramatically over the last year”, the minister highlighted.  He said the cameras are “… a move towards engaging and recording and making sure that there is sufficient information to determine… the best approach to resolving an issue.”  Minister Benn also encouraged citizens to use their recording devices when interacting with the police as this provides additional evidence relating to the conduct of both parties.

Security agents are expected to keep their cameras on at all times when engaging the public. Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken has already provided this stern warning to members of the police force. The initiative is said to be a step toward modernising Guyana’s security institution and fostering trust and confidence in the country’s law enforcement agencies.