Several stalls in the Bourda Market were broken into between Sunday night and early yesterday morning with many of the owners suffering losses while others counted their lucky stars that refortified locks on the inside of their stalls saved the day.
Two young men accused of carrying out the rampage on 13 stalls were nabbed at around 1 am yesterday and are now in the custody of the City Constabulary. They were reportedly held with many of the items stolen from the stalls.
It was semi-chaotic at the market yesterday morning as the stall owners counted their losses and many others crowded around them in support. The two men accused of committing the acts were taken back into the market to identify the stalls they had stolen items from and they were taunted by the stall owners as many wanted to physically assault the men.
“We does get loss in the market but this is the first time that suh much stall break and enter,” a vendor said as she thanked God that her stall was not one that was targeted.
According to reports reaching Stabroek News city police from the nearby constabulary office heard the noise in the market and immediately investigated. The two men were caught breaking into a stall with crow bars. They allegedly admitted to breaking and entering the other stalls and while cash was taken from some of the stalls, the men were not found with any money, but with other items such brand name sneakers, colognes and boxes of corn flakes among other items.
“The men will be charged and according to them they were the only ones doing the breaking,” a constabulary source told Stabroek News yesterday. He said the men are known characters in the market area.
“And if you see how dem handsome, handsome. Dem face nice, nice and dem gat on good clothes you never believe is dem do it,” one female vendor commented.
Nelvana Boodram, a seamstress in the market, told Stabroek News the bar and padlock on her stall door was broken and while they gained access to the stall she was not certain whether they took anything.
“If dem tek anything it have to be some piece of cloth or something because nothing more ent really deh fuh thief,” the woman told Stabroek News. However, she said it appeared that the thieves did not have the opportunity to take anything.
Compton Narine was one of the stall owners counting his lucky stars as he said while the men broke off his lock and bar they were unable to gain access to his stall. Narine said he wanted the method he used to keep the men out kept a secret as he did not want to alert others with the same intentions.
“But I learn this from my mother, she always tell me what I should do and I do it but don’t write what it is,” the man said.
Another stall owner, who only gave her name as K. Ramlall, said the thieves gained access to her stall and they stole a number of items but she could not quantify her loss. Among the items stolen was a pair of brand name sneakers and the weights for her scale. She they broke one of the shutters on of her stall to gain access.
Lennox Andrews was not a very happy man yesterday as he would have lost over $40,000 he had in two boxes in his stall. The man said he was awaiting the opening of the market when a market employee told them that his stall had been broken into. Upon checking his stall he found that the bottom door was opened and several cartons were scattered on the ground. Among the boxes were the two he had he placed his money in when he left the market at midday on Saturday.
Some of the other stall owners who suffered losses had closed up their stalls and gone to give statements to the constabulary when Stabroek News visited.
Many stall owners were quite alarmed at the number of stalls targeted by the thieves and they called for more security in the market. Over the years, stall owners have repeatedly complained about the constant breaking and entering of their stalls.
The investigation continues.
