Bandits strike twice on the Corentyne
-police phones ring out, victims claim
By Kim Lucas
Armed bandits struck twice in Corentyne, Berbice early yesterday morning carting off close to $2M in local currency, as well as a quantity of foreign notes and gold jewellery.

In both cases, the victims complained of being unable to reach the police, either because the phones at three stations rang out, or because two policemen reportedly claimed that it was “too dark” to investigate. However, a senior police source said that no one had made any such report to the authorities and that all policemen had an obligation to investigate incidents despite the darkness.
“The police are supposed to carry out their investigations, either use a torchlight or use the light of a vehicle,” the officer stated.
The first attack was launched at about 12:30 am while Bridgeanand Lildharry and his wife, Neeta, were watching television in their home above their business place at the Number 64 Beach Road, Corentyne. Three masked men, two of whom were armed with handguns, picked a lock, entered and demanded cash and gold jewellery. They reportedly left with G$40,000, CAN$8,000 and $100,000 worth of jewellery.
Less than four hours later, at 4:15 am at Lot ‘R’ Springlands, a lone gunman, dressed in black, held up 52-year-old Dhanraj Gharbarran and snatched $1.7M before escaping.
The man, who operates Raj’s Pool Hall, and his security guard had just descended from the three-storey premises and were about to go to the car in the driveway when the masked intruder scaled the fence and shot at him.
“The shot passed over my head... he [the bandit] motion for the bag and I gave it to him,” the Holland-based businessman related. But the ordeal did not end there for the man. Up until late yesterday afternoon, no police rank had visited his premises to investigate the matter.
“I made a report at Springlands [Police Station]. They came... two of them and said it too dark and went away,” Gharbarran stated. He had used his car, shortly after the attack, to transport the cops from the precinct to his residence and back. The businessman added that his guard was taken into custody. However, when contacted yesterday, a senior police source told Stabroek News that no one was in custody for either robbery.
Gharbarran returned to Guyana from Holland some four months ago and is expected to leave again in October. He explained that he was on his way to the city to purchase rice bags, since several businesspersons in the area had complained of a shortage.
“I tell them I going Thursday and that they can come Friday,” the man explained.
The Lildharrys, meanwhile, told Stabroek News that the intruders, after entering their grilled home, immediately began demanding the money and jewellery. At the time, their 19-year-old daughter was asleep in her room.
“When they come in, they ‘Hands up!’ we and ask for the daily sales,” Mrs Lildharry recounted.
“Me couldn’t do anything. They start fo cuss [and say] they want the money... they want de sales. They hit me on meh neck back and me get frighten and open de canister... Then they want de gold,” her husband said.
The woman said the bandits started to hit her when she told them that the business was rented out, therefore they (the family) had no sales money. She was treated yesterday for a suspected fractured left wrist.
“They come in the room and tumble up all over and they get some foreign currency and the local money and jewellery... then they want to go in my daughter room and they want she open the door. But I shout out, ‘Thief!’ and she start scream and they hit me in meh head and go away,” the woman said.
The bandits immediately fled the home and headed in the direction of Springlands. The woman claimed that the men threatened her life before fleeing. According to the couple, repeated efforts to reach the police at Skeldon and Numbers 64 and 51 Villages, proved unsuccessful. They said two of the numbers were ringing out and the third gave a busy tone. It was not until around 9:00 am that an officer from the village was informed of the incident and went to investigate, the Lildharrys said.
“When you call fo de police, nobody coming... this is not right,” the distraught woman told this newspaper.
According to Lildharry, yesterday’s attack was the first on their home, but the fifth for him. He said bandits broke into his goods shop once and into the rum shop below the home, on three occasions. 

 

Friday September 19, 2003