Guyana toll guards killed in jungle ambush
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) – A private security and mining company that manages the road network in Guyana’s jungle interior said Tuesday it will stop collecting tolls in the remote area after two of its guards were killed as they transported cash.
Police said a gang of 10 gunmen ambushed a Mekdeci Mining Company car as it travelled Monday on a jungle road in the mineral-rich Essequibo region. Two company guards were fatally shot and two others seriously injured.
Three guards were killed last year as they travelled just south of the capital of Georgetown. The company cars typically carry at least US$25,000 (euro17,649), according to Mekdeci spokesman, Carl Morgan.
He said the company, which has a government contract to collect money from miners and others who travel on jungle roads, plans to collect prepaid tolls.
