Despite enhanced security after a past robbery, bandits have managed to penetrate the postal system twice within the last few months, a sign of worry for Chairman of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) Bishop Juan Edghill who is offering a reward for the arrest of the culprits.
Edghill believes that it is now left up to the employees and residents to be more vigilant and play an active role in preventing a reoccurrence.
Speaking to Stabroek News on Wednesday, the Chairman said that these two robberies ought not to have occurred but there were breaches to the security measures that were put in place, following the 2007 robbery during which bandits shot the Post Master of the Nigg Post Office before escaping with $8.2M.
He said that prior to last Monday’s robbery at the Wismar location, the officials at the post office received information of what was going to happen and a report was made to the police. “Though we told the police, this robbery still happened,” Edghill said, before questioning why no effort was made to ensured that the money was secured upon arrival.
According to Edghill, though there was extra security and bolts were added to the door, the robbery still occurred.
During the Wismar robbery, which occurred around 2:40 pm, two masked gunmen held up the post-mistress and seven employees. They were all forced to lie on the floors while the bandits demanded the keys to the vault which were subsequently handed over. The men then opened the vault and took away $7,693,225 which was intended to pay pensioners. While escaping they fired several shots.
Meanwhile, in the case of the Rose Hall Post Office robbery, which occurred in July, Edghill said that they are still trying to ascertain where the bag of money the bandits fled with was positioned at the time of the robbery. He said that the money was delivered under guard and was to be secured in a safe. He said that the post mistress first said that the money was on the table and then said it was under the table.
He said to date they are still trying to ascertain where the bag of money. The gun-toting bandits escaped with $6M cash intended for old age and National Insurance Scheme pensioners around 2:30 pm on July 31.
Edghill said that in light of the two incidents, he is offering a reward for information that could lead to the capture of the perpetrators. He said too that the measures they have put in place have failed and as such the employees as well as residents ought to be more vigilant.
