Islandwide search mounted

An islandwide search was mounted yesterday by police and soldiers for a .9 mm pistol belonging to the Police Service, which was stolen from murdered police constable Omah Marajah on Friday night. The gun is believed to be in the possession of the third bandit who escaped after he and two others shot PC Marajah in the right hip and then threw an explosive device into the police vehicle. That bandit escaped by scaling a wall. A cell phone found at the scene of the shoot-out now holds the key to the identity of the second slain bandit, and the man who escaped.

Yesterday, police officers, accompanied by officers of the Crime Scenes Unit returned to the scene of the shoot-out and dusted for prints. Custom officers and other officials of JSL Speedpak Complex, an air freight and courier company where the incident occurred, also returned to the scene yesterday. A .9 mm pistol and a .38 revolver also recovered from the scene suggest that the bandits were searching for something specific because they did not touch the thousands of dollars in a draw at the courier company. Investigators believe that the bandits had planned to remove something from five pieces of luggage at the courier company, and then burn down the building.

They were stopped in their tracks by the prompt arrival of the police. PC Jeffers, the officer who pulled out PC Marajah from the burning police car on Friday night, was in a state of shock at his Tunapuna home yesterday. He has been granted one week’s leave to recuperate from the trauma which he underwent on Friday night. PC Jeffers and PC Marajah worked closely at the Piarco Police Station. On Friday night they responded to a report of robbery at JSL Speedpak Complex. That complex is located within walking distance from the mobile police booth at Piarco. PC Jeffers in a statement said that when he and others arrived at the scene of the robbery they came under attack. Six shots hit the driver’s side of the police car —one to the upper back fender, four to the back door and one to the lower part of the front door.

Marajah who was shot in the hip remained in the car as PC Jeffers scampered to safety. An explosive device was then thrown into the police vehicle. The car burst into flames trapping Marajah who received more than 75 percent burns throughout his body. He was dead by the time he was pulled out of the car. An autopsy will be carried out at the Forensic Science Centre today and forensic experts will carry out specific tests on the police vehicle to determine what explosive device was used to bomb the police vehicle. PC Marajah is expected to be cremated later this week, and will be accorded a funeral with full military rites.