Manhunt on for Venezuelans who severely injured taxi driver

Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 November 2023, 18:50 by Denis Chabrol

A taxi driver of Naamryck, Parika, East Bank Essequibo has been severely beaten and his neck cut by five Venezuelan men who had seemingly hired him to take them to Ruby Backdam.

Investigators said the badly injured and blood-soaked 46-year old Shon Smith was rescued by two men and rushed to a hospital where he was admitted and later discharged. The man said he was attacked while driving his car at about early Sunday morning, November 12.

The Guyana Police Force said  Mr Smith visited the Parika Police Station on Tuesday but was unable to stand due to the injuries to his neck. Investigators said he was shown the pictures of 41 male Venezuelans and “after carefully viewing the photos to see whether he could identify his attackers, he said he did not recognise any of the 41 men as his attackers.” An entry was made in the station diary.

Several male Venezuelans were arrested Tuesday afternoon during police raids at Ruby Backdam squatting area, Greenwich Park, Peter Street and Parika First Koker in relation to the attack on the drive a few days earlier.

Police ranks from Regional Division #3 yesterday afternoon conducted raid exercises at Ruby Backdam (squatting area), Greenwich Park, Peter Street and Parika First Koker, where several male Venezuelan nationals were taken into custody in relation to the attack on a taxi driver a few days earlier at Ruby Backdam.
The victim told police that last Sunday morning at about 1:50 , he was driving along the Parika main road, opposite Courts turn, when he was stopped by the five Venezuelan men, who hired him to take them to Ruby Backdam.

He further recalled that during the journey 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,” he said.

Jagmohan Singh,49, a farmer of Ruby Backdam, said at about  2AM Sunday he was awoken from his sleep by a loud noise. According to police, Singh said he got off his bed and went outside, where he saw the victim, lying down under his house shed with blood running down his body. The farmer said he immediately alerted his brother-in-law, who is also a farmer, who took the victim into his car and transported him to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and admitted a patient for observation.