Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and two other men were arrested late Monday after police reportedly discovered an illegal firearm and ammunition in their vehicle following a reported shooting outside the home of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, a key witness in Mohamed’s ongoing extradition proceedings.
Mohamed, 39, of Houston, East Bank Demerara; Mario Mohamed, 25, of Timehri, East Bank Demerara; and Eugene Thorne, 35, a driver also of Timehri, were taken into custody after police intercepted their vehicle shortly after the incident.
Police said the incident occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m. Monday on Barr Street, Kitty, Georgetown, where Narine, who heads the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch, resides.
According to preliminary investigations, Narine was at home when he observed a black Toyota Allion, bearing registration number PXX 5300, travelling slowly along Barr Street. The vehicle reportedly passed his residence before returning a short while later.
As the car approached his residence a second time, Narine heard what appeared to be a gunshot. He immediately took cover and discharged several rounds from his service firearm in the direction of the vehicle, which subsequently drove away.
The vehicle was later intercepted at the junction of Vlissengen Road and Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, with the three men inside.
A search conducted in their presence uncovered a .32-caliber Taurus pistol without a serial number and three live rounds of matching ammunition, police said. The occupants were arrested in connection with suspected possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence. The search was livestreamed, including the discovery of the illegal weapon, by Mohamed’s sister Hana.
Investigators also recovered one spent .32-caliber shell on the southern side of Barr Street, diagonally opposite Narine’s residence, along with four spent 9mm shells.
The firearm, ammunition and spent shells were secured for ballistic examination, while investigators are expected to review surveillance footage from the surrounding area.
The incident has drawn particular attention because of Narine’s involvement in the ongoing extradition proceedings against Mohamed and his father, businessman Nazar Mohamed, who are wanted in the United States to face charges related to alleged financial crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering.
Narine has been a central witness in the proceedings before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman, providing testimony concerning the October 2025 arrests of the father and son, the handling of extradition documents and intelligence gathered by the Special Branch.
During cross-examination in September, Narine testified that he considered Azruddin Mohamed a threat to national security based on intelligence obtained by police. He also alleged that intelligence linked Mohamed to several killings, although he acknowledged that no charges had been filed against Mohamed in connection with those allegations.
In another development during the extradition hearing, Narine told the court that he felt intimidated after a photograph featuring members of his family, including his 11-year-old child, appeared on the opposition leader’s Facebook page alongside derogatory comments.
Chief Magistrate Latchman subsequently expressed concern about the publication of photographs of children on social media.
Monday night’s incident now places renewed attention on the security of a senior police officer directly involved in the high-profile extradition case.
However, police have not established whether the reported shooting was connected to Narine’s testimony, who allegedly fired the initial shot or whether the recovered pistol was discharged during the incident.
Mohamed and the two other men remain in police custody as investigations continue. No charges arising from Monday night’s incident have been announced.