GEORGETOWN – Guyana Police Force has shut down public speculation of a coordinated terror campaign, with Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken declaring that investigators have found “no motive” linking the deadly Mobil Gas Station bombing to the earlier blasts at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost and the GPL substation on Mandela Avenue.
Speaking at the launch of the Christmas Policing Plan on Thursday, Hicken told reporters that based on all available evidence, the three explosions were separate acts. “There is no motive that would point us to the collaboration of the others,” he said, stressing that investigators are not pursuing any theory suggesting a unified plot.
His remarks come months after the first two explosions rattled the capital on May 17. The blast at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost sent debris flying onto nearby rooftops, leaving the southern concrete wall severely damaged and blowing away the metal gate.
Mere hours later, another bomb detonated at GPL’s Mandela Avenue substation, amplifying fears that critical state facilities were under attack. Police subsequently charged 35-year-old bus driver Seon Carmichael with terrorism, alleging he transported three foreign nationals involved in both incidents.
Then came October 26, when tragedy struck again, this time in the heart of Georgetown. A device detonated at the Mobil Gas Station at King and Regent Streets, killing six-year-old Soraya Bourne and injuring several others. Seven people, including Venezuelan nationals and Guyanese, have since been charged with terrorism in relation to the attack.
The incident renewed public alarm and triggered intense debate about whether Guyana was facing a broader threat. Despite the speculation, Hicken insisted that investigators have not found any evidence linking the May explosions to the October gas station attack.
While he declined to reveal the motive behind the most recent bombing, he assured the public that heightened measures are already in place. “We’ve ramped up all the gaps that we have,” he said. “We can now better protect our country.”
The Commissioner’s remarks are intended to calm rising fears, but they also signal a clear message: although the attacks have shaken the nation, Guyana is not dealing with an organized chain of bombings. For now, the police maintain that each incident stands alone, even as the courts continue to process the suspects charged in these high-profile cases.
