PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – Vice President Ronnie Brunswick has warned criminals in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country that the authorities “are no longer making jokes.”
Addressing the National Assembly on Thursday night, Brunswijk, acting head of state in the absence of President Chan Santokhi, who is on an official visit to China, said tough action will be taken to stem the rise in crime here effective immediately.
He said resources are being made available to the police and military, telling legislators, “The criminals must see that we no longer make jokes.
“I would like to reassure society from here that the government will tackle the matter,” Brunswick said.
Speaking in several languages, he urged parents to talk seriously to their children about crime, adding that the authorities would take action against all lawbreakers.
“And let me tell you, the police are going to take tough action,” he said, adding, “From today on, it’s tackling, tackling, tackling. We’re not going to laugh anymore.”
The authorities said that 200 recruits would be deployed as of Friday, even as Brunswick acknowledged that the country’s difficult situation does not give anyone the right to engage in criminal activities.
He said that a plan to discuss the situation had been discussed for the past four years, and the time has come for it to be implemented.
Meanwhile, police said they had detained three people after they intercepted a vehicle and discovered a quantity of arms and ammunition.
They said that none of the suspects, including a soldier, could provide details regarding the origin of these weapons or a firearms authorization document. After consultations with the Public Prosecution Service, two of the suspects, including the soldier, were taken into custody. The police said that further investigation into the case is continuing involving both the Military Police and the police.
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