-guns, jewels stolen
Five armed bandits terrorized and robbed a couple at Belvedere, Corentyne at around 7:15 pm on Thursday of a large sum of money and gold jewellery along with two guns with matching rounds.
Haseeb ‘Packer’ Hussain and Hemwattie ‘Rita’ Hussain who operate a gas station at Fyrish and a grocery and off-licence liquor shop at Belvedere had just finished business for the day when they were attacked.
Reports are that the men escaped on foot from the direction of Rose Hall with their booty while firing several rounds in the air. The bandits also beat Hussain severely on his head and back with the gun butt and cutlass.
Shortly after the robbery he was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital and treated for a gaping wound to his head which was bleeding. He returned to the hospital yesterday for an x-ray. His ears have also been bleeding due to the hits.
The businessman also sustained a cut on the palm of his hand while trying to overpower the bandit with the cutlass.
Police said in a release that mobile patrols quickly responded and roadblocks were established at strategic positions. The release said that “two men have been arrested and were in police custody being questioned.”
Yesterday police sources told this newspaper that the two men were still being interrogated but the lawmen were still “not sure if they were involved in the robbery.”
The release also said that two live 12-gauge cartridges, two spent shells and a cutlass were recovered at the scene by the police.
Hussain told Stabroek News yesterday that the bandits demanded that he hand over his .32-revolver and shotgun with matching rounds and he refused. However he was forced to hand over the weapons after the men threatened to “shoot me wife and kill she.”
According to him, “Gun is just a material thing and it can’t bring back a life. I had to choose between me wife and the gun and I decided to give them the gun because me can’t get back a wife like this one…”
At one stage, he said the bandit with the cutlass was alone in a room with him demanding more money and jewellery and he decided to grab the cutlass.
He said he was able to wrest the cutlass away “because he young; all of them young and me coulda manage them” but the bandit fled the room leaving the cutlass behind.
After snatching the money and jewellery, the bandits ran downstairs while the one with the gun remained in the room with him. He said he also tried to “scramble him and shut the room door with he inside.”
However, at the same time the round was discharged and the bandit was able to “slip out” of the room.
He recalled that he was relaxing in his hammock in the lower flat of the house when he saw the bandits entering while holding his wife at gunpoint. He said they shouted “nobody move” and demanded “all the money and jewellery.”
They also ordered him and his wife to get down on the floor while they ransacked the flat. Not satisfied with their loot, they started to beat Hussain, saying “that can’t be all.”
They then took the couple upstairs and continued to ransack the house.
Me give them everything but they still din satisfy.”
Hemwattie told this newspaper that she was closing the gate when the bandits approached her and “grab me shirt in front” They pointed the gun at her and took her into the house, warning her not to “make any noise.”
She said that throughout the 15 to 20 minutes ordeal she kept begging the bandits to spare their lives. They had also stripped her of the jewellery she was wearing.
As all this happening, terrified residents remained indoors and contacted the police. After the bandits left “the street was full with people,” lamenting the ordeal, Hussain said. (Shabna Ullah)
