Gunmen yesterday stormed the Excel Minerals Inc office at Mahdia and after tying up two employees escaped with millions of dollars in cash, gold and diamonds along with the security camera.
This newspaper was unable to reach police officials but according to sources the incident occurred just before midday shortly after the security guard left his post for the washroom.
He along with the owner of a pick-up that the men fled the scene in are reportedly in police custody assisting with investigations.
This newspaper was told that two employees were in the locked office when they heard persons speaking Portuguese. The company is owned by Brazilians.
Thinking that it was his fellow countrymen one of the employees reportedly opened the door and was confronted by two gunmen. Several more were standing around outside the building keeping watch.
According to the source reports are that the other employee who is a Guyanese was gun-butted before he and the other employee were tied up. The men collected their booty along with company’s security camera and fled with their accomplices in a pick-up. The vehicle reportedly dropped the men off at another location in the Mahdia area.
The source added that the owner of the vehicle was later held by police for questioning into the identity of the driver.
This newspaper was told that the company whose headquarters is at Alberttown in Georgetown has been operating in the compound of the Guyoil Service Station in Central Mahdia for just over two years now. In addition to the mineral business, money transactions are done at the location.
Meanwhile a resident yesterday expressed concern about the increase in crimes in the mining community. The resident explained that “as soon as de place get dark,” robberies, attempted robberies and even rapes are being committed.
It was pointed out too that many persons are walking around the community freely with illegal weapons. The police, the resident noted, have to do more to tackle this situation adding that usually there is not a shortage of ranks at the police station there.
