Bartica gold miner, porter shot dead and robbed of raw gold, guns

Last Updated on Sunday, 3 March 2024, 20:34 by Denis Chabrol

In the wake of Sunday morning’s gunning down of a well-known gold miner and his employee and theft of GY$37 million worth of raw gold and guns, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) called on police to ensure the safety of miners.

“We urge all our miners to take full security precautions and call on the Guyana Police Force to take the necessary actions so that our interior can be safe for miners to conduct business,” the GGDMA said in a statement.

The Association also “calls on the authorities to have a proper investigation into this incident” which occurred at about 10:30 AM at Arimu Backdan, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). Dead are gold miner 50-year old Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff and porter, 26-year old Donvan Washington of Lot 11 Seventh Avenue Bartica.

Police said the shortly after Sheriff washed down and retrieved 102 ounces of gold valued GY$37 million, police said.

Sheriff and Washington were shot dead and the gold and one .32 pistol and one 12-gauge shotgun, property of Zaheer Mohamed Sheriff were carted off.

Police said Sheriff, who owned a six-inch land dredge operation at Arimu Backdam, and Washington left on All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) en route to Bartica, but shortly after loud explosions were heard.

General Manager of Sheriff’s operation, 39-year old Joel Stephen alleged that about five minutes after his boss left camp, he heard several loud explosions which he suspected to be gunshots. “He went to make checks in the area and about 500 meters away from the camp Stephen found both deceased men lying in the trail with gun shot injuries about their bodies,” police said.

Investigators said Sheriff’s body was examined and a circular wound to his right upper chest, circular wound to upper right thigh, circular wound to upper right arm and circular wound to his left upper back were seen. Washington’s body bore circular wounds to lower abdomen, left chest, left shoulder, left hand, left elbow; four circular wounds to right thigh, two to left thigh and one to his back.

Police said they found one .32 magazine with eight live matching rounds, seven 9MM spent shells and three .32 spent shells at the scene.

The GGDMA said it was “deeply saddened” by the murder-robbery. “The Association would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of the late Mohamed Sheriff and Donovan Washington whose lives were snatched away from them by these animals as the miner conducted his business.”

The association recalled that in December 2022, another member of the Association, Ricky Ambrose,  who was a Sworn Land Surveyor and ranger was robbed of a quantity of raw gold and cash and killed at Arimu Backdam.