Police have detained four persons who they believe are part of a gang that committed a spate of robberies in Corentyne and New Amsterdam recently including the gun-point mugging of a money-changer on Saturday.
Two of the persons have since reportedly confessed to robbing money-changer Samuel Mohabir of more than $400,000 in local and foreign currency at New Amsterdam (NA) on Saturday. According to reports, Mohabir of Blairmont, West Bank Berbice had exited the ferry at New Amsterdam at about 8 am that day and was proceeding along Strand, NA in the vicinity of the Guyana Stores building when he was attacked by two men, one of whom was toting a handgun.
One of the robbers choked him from behind while the other pointed the gun to Mohabir’s head and demanded that he hand over everything. Mohabir initially resisted but was forced to hand over the money that he had. The bandits took $400,000 in local currency, TT$400 and US$20. They also grabbed two gold bands valued at $190,000 from Mohabir before escaping.
However, shortly after, the police arrested four persons on suspicions that they had been involved in the robberies. One of them, a 20-year-old man was kept at the Reliance Police station at Canje but escaped from the lock-ups at around 1am yesterday.
Later yesterday morning, at around 11 am, police went to the youth’s Tucber Park, New Amsterdam home and found him there and rearrested him. A search was conducted on the premises and a .38 special revolver, five matching rounds and a spent shell was found by the police. A toque that had holes cut into it, apparently for the eyes and mouth was also recovered while TT$400 and $81,000 was also found.
The youth reportedly told police that the two men had borrowed the gun from him and returned it after the robbery was committed. He reportedly revealed that he was part of a gang that had committed robberies in Berbice and they had obtained the gun by pooling their money and purchasing it.
Two of the other detained persons have since reportedly confessed to robbing Mohabir. Police are working on the theory that the men were part of a “bicycle gang” that had been committing a series of robberies in the district and then escaping on bicycles. They believe that the men are linked to the $2M Thursday robbery of a West Canefield, Canje couple. On that occasion, three bandits, one carrying a gun and two brandishing cutlasses relieved shop owner, Kamaldeo `Ringo’ Atomdeo, 40, and his wife, Monica of over $360,000 cash and over 300 pennyweight of gold worth more than $1.5 M and escaped by foot in the direction of the Canje Creek. They are also being linked to other robberies.
Investigations are continuing.
