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Six-hour robbery spree at Berbice

 Gunmen shoot Canada-based
Guyanese,
hijack rural constable's car

 - two held


A 70-year-old Canada-based Guyanese was shot in the left leg and two of his companions beaten with a metal pipe on Friday night by masked gunmen who went on a six-hour robbery spree at Albion, Edinburgh and Port Mourant.

Police said Sookhoo Bhertri, a pensioner, was shot by one of three masked men as he sat in a hammock under his house at Toopoo, Albion at around 19:30 hrs.

The gunmen also escaped with a cellular phone and a quantity of jewellery valued at $242,000.

A source told Kaieteur News last night that two “notorious” men, suspected to be connected with the robberies, have since been held.

According to reports, Bhertri, his wife and four other persons were in the bottom flat chatting when three men, who were armed with handguns, rushed into the premises, discharging several rounds in the process.

Kaieteur News understands that one of the men walked up to the pensioner and shot him in the upper leg.

Sources said that the bandits beat two males who were among the group with a metal pipe, before fleeing on foot with jewellery that they had stripped from their victims.

The injured pensioner was treated at the Port Mourant Hospital and sent away.

Four .32 spent shells were recovered at the scene.

 Detectives believe that the gunmen were masked because they came from the area.

They suspect the same gang hijacked a taxi, HB493, belonging to a rural constable, 30 minutes after the attack at Albion.

Kennard Sampson, a 33-year-old taxi driver of West Canje, was at the Berbice car park at around 21:00hrs when two men hired him to take them to Edinburgh.

On arrival, one of the passengers in the back seat placed a gun to Sampson's head and ordered him to stop.

A third man, who reportedly had a bag and a handgun, then entered the vehicle.

 

After tying and gagging the driver, the gunmen relieved him of articles valued $41,000 then locked him in his car trunk.

However, the vehicle reportedly developed mechanical trouble, and the men were forced to abandon it. They reportedly fled in another car.

The driver eventually freed himself and reported the matter to the police.

At 04:00hrs yesterday, 38 year old taxi driver Derick Singh and his wife were leaving their Port Mourant home for the market, when they were confronted by three masked men. One of the men reportedly had a shotgun, while the others had handguns.

The gunmen discharged a round and demanded that the couple hand over their cash and jewellery.

One of the bandits struck Singh on the forehead, causing him to lose consciousness.

They took $20,000 from his pocket and two gold rings, valued at $20,000 from his wife.

Meanwhile, the couple's children, who were in the house, heard the shot and locked themselves in.

However, the men took Singh's wife to the house, discharged another round and forced open the door.

On entering the house, they broke open a wardrobe and removed $50,000 in jewellery. They eventually found the victims' daughters and took two rings valued $20,000 from them, before escaping.

Singh was taken to hospital for observation.

Two suspects were subsequently held.