-Corentyne rice farmer robbed
Gunmen engaged police in a shoot-out during a robbery on the Corentyne early yesterday morning and when the gunfire died down the lawmen found an assortment of guns and ammunition in the victims’ house but the criminals escaped.
Police said in a statement yesterday that around 1:30 am rice farmer Hemraj Harrichand, 54 years of No.70 Village, Corentyne and his two daughters and son were attacked and robbed of an undisclosed quantity of jewellery and cash by three men all armed with firearms.
Investigations revealed that Harrichand’s daughter Meline was aroused by a burning sensation to her nostrils and was confronted by the three men who held her at gunpoint and also held up the rest of the family, the police said.
The armed men proceeded to hit the victims about their bodies with the firearms and took away the jewellery and cash. Police said while the robbery was in progress the ranks were informed and responded promptly, arriving at the scene while the men were still in the house.
However, as the police approached the building the bandits shot at the ranks who returned fire, the release said. The police subsequently entered the building and found that the men had escaped. They left behind one 12-gauge shotgun with 9 cartridges; one 16-gauge shotgun with 9 cartridges; one .38 pistol; two bottles of unidentified liquid; one compass; three bicycles; and one .22 spent shell.
