A rash of attacks on taxi-drivers recently has seen yet another operator losing his car to bandits. Thursday night Stokeley Cosbert was hired by three men on Sheriff Street to take them to Alberttown, but while on the way he was held up and robbed.
Police said in a statement that the robbery occurred at about 11 pm on Thursday at Section ‘K’, Campbellville. Police investigations revealed that Cosbert of Supply, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was operating his beige-coloured Toyota Carina AT 192 car HA 9382, when he was hired by the three men at Sheriff Street to go to Alberttown. Along the way he was held up by the trio, one of whom was armed with a knife. The men relieved him of a cellular phone and $15,000 and escaped with the vehicle.
There have been similar attacks recently. Around 8:40 pm Tuesday night at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), taxi-driver, Ian Hitkin of Water Street, Kingston, was attacked and robbed by three men, two of whom were armed with handguns. Police investigations revealed that Hitkin was hired by one of the men from the Stabroek area to go to Plaisance.
While travelling along the railway embankment at Goedverwagting, the man requested to stop and as Hitkin did so two other men came up. He was held at gunpoint and robbed of his Toyota Carina AT 212 motor car HB 4372, a cellular phone, $10 000 and a pair of boots. During the robbery, Hitkin was struck to his head with a firearm and the three men then escaped in the vehicle.
At about 10:10 pm last Saturday night, taxi-driver Orin Brooks of Prospect, EBD was stopped by two men at Bel-Air, whom he thought wanted to hire him. Police said that investigations revealed that on entering the vehicle the men held Brooks up, shoved him out of the vehicle and escaped with his white Toyota Carina AT 192, PJJ 5288 and $9,000.
Around 10 pm on December 29, taxi driver Hardatt Dookoo of Enmore, ECD was attacked and robbed. Police said investigations revealed that Dookoo was hired by a man to go to Hope farther up the coast. Once he reached the village the robber held Dookoo at knife-point and robbed him of $12,000 and a cell phone. After the armed man was given the articles he stabbed the victim in his right ear and both arms and at that point made good his escape, police said.
However, police ranks responded promptly and arrested the suspect. The police had said that a cell phone and knife were recovered.
A number of similar attacks, during which the victim’s car was stolen was reported last month.