A 27-year-old Venezuelan national has been charged and remanded to prison as part of an ongoing investigation into a firearms trafficking network. The investigation has intensified following the seizure of 33 military-grade assault rifles in two separate operations within a month.
Jonathan David Gans, a construction worker from Venezuela residing in Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara, appeared in court under heavy security on Monday. He was charged with Possession of a Firearm Without a License and Possession of Ammunition Without a License, as per the Firearms Act. Gans pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, due to the serious nature of the offenses and concerns about flight risk, Magistrate Rondell Weever ordered him to be remanded at the Georgetown holding facility until his next court date on July 14, 2026.
Gans was apprehended during a targeted operation in Schoonord, West Bank Demerara, on June 11, 2026. His arrest is linked to the discovery of 23 AK-47 assault rifles and 529 rounds of ammunition found in a vehicle just days earlier. This incident marked the second significant weapons seizure in a 21-day period.
The first seizure occurred on May 22, 2026, when authorities found 10 AK-47 rifles hidden in a commercial vehicle along the No. 11 Village Public Road in Berbice. A local taxi driver was charged and granted bail, while others involved in the operation have also been captured and arraigned.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is expanding its efforts to target the financiers behind the trafficking network. Businessman Randy Jagdeo surrendered to police following a wanted bulletin regarding his alleged involvement in the Schoonord weapons cache. He is currently in solitary confinement for questioning.
Additionally, a wanted bulletin has been issued for Orlando Gabriel, who is sought for unlawful possession and distribution of military firearms. Officials have expressed concern over the scale and sophistication of the firearms trafficking networks operating through Guyana’s borders, which are believed to be supplying heavily armed criminal groups in South America.
Source: hgptv.com
Follow us on Instagram: @news.tringlobe
