Six-hour
robbery spree at Berbice
Gunmen
shoot Canada-based
Guyanese, hijack
rural constable's car
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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.
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