Police arrest two men, recover $90K of suspected stolen items

Police officers arrested two men Friday in connection with an estimated $90,000 worth of items suspected to have been stolen.  

The items, recovered from three separate locations following three separate police operations, included televisions, power tools, construction tools, video games, jewellery and generators, said Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Detective Superintendent Marlon Bodden. 

Mr. Bodden said the items were found in two locations in George Town and one in West Bay, in a combination of commercial and residential sites. He said it is possible there are more suspected stolen items connected to the men that police have not yet found. He said investigators are not certain whether the men may have stolen the items themselves, or if they simply were purchasing the items. 

“Hopefully we should be able to get an answer to that as a result of the investigation. At this stage it is unclear,” he said. 

The information about the arrests over suspected stolen items was released during a news briefing held Monday by Mr. Bodden and Police Superintendent Kurt Walton. During the briefing, Mr. Bodden and Mr. Walton also provided updates on several other incidents that have occurred since last Thursday, including a car jacking near Dolphin Discovery in West Bay, a stabbing in West Bay, the recovery of three firearms and the arrest of a man for intention to supply ganja. 

Firearms recovered 

At around 11.30am Thursday, a targeted police operation resulted in the arrest of a man and a woman in Prospect on suspicion of possession of an unlicensed firearm. The weapon is a .45-calibre semi-automatic pistol, along with six rounds of ammunition. Also recovered was a ski mask, gloves and camouflage clothing. The two suspects are still in custody. 

At about 2.30pm Friday, police responded to calls from the public and found a man in possession of an unlicensed firearm on Bodden’s Road in George Town. The suspect fled from police, leaving behind a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with three rounds of ammunition. There has not been an arrest in the case. On Saturday, a police operation resulted in the recovery of another firearm, this one also described as a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and also with three rounds of ammunition. No arrest was cited in this case either. 

Mr. Bodden said all three firearms were capable of being fired and were lethal-barrelled weapons. Also on Saturday, a police operation resulted in the arrest of a 32-year-old man for possession with intent to supply ganja. Mr. Bodden would not disclose how much ganja, or marijuana, the man allegedly had. The man remains in custody.