Gunmen on Wednesday night shot and injured a vendor on North Road after terrorising and robbing two others of over half a million dollars in cash and jewellery, renewing calls by business persons operating in the Bourda Market area for police protection particularly at nights.
Up to press time last evening 30-year-old father of three, Saheed King of Maida, Corentyne, Berbice was recovering in the High Dependency Unit of the Georgetown Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his stomach. His condition was listed as critical but stable.
Police said in a press release issued yesterday that around 2245 hours vendors Errol Gardner, 43 years, and his wife Thakurdai Persaud, 42 years of Vigilance, East Coast Demerara were in their Canter motor lorry at the Bourda Market, North Road, Georgetown, when they were held up by three men, all armed with firearms. The men took away a total of $320, 000 from them, a cell phone, and a quantity of jewellery.
The release stated further that while the armed robbery was taking place another vendor, King “made efforts to assist the victims and was shot to his stomach by one of the perpetrators”. He was then robbed of $200,000 by the men who escaped in a waiting motor car.
Police officials have since told this newspaper that the search continues for the gunmen who were unmasked and appeared to be in their late teens to early twenties. There has also been no word on the getaway car.
When Stabroek News visited King yesterday, he appeared very weak and was taking saline. The entire front of his abdomen was heavily bandaged. In a brief interview with this newspaper he said that Gardner would often buy sweet peppers and limes from him. He said that on Wednesday night he went to his usual Robb Street location where he wholesaled his goods and later ended up where Gardner was parked on North Road.
Based on what he said he had left some of his goods near Gardner’s canter so he had gone back to retrieve them. King said that as he approached the vehicle all he heard was “shut up don’t move”. The man said before he could have reacted he heard a loud noise but thought someone was playing a game.
Blood flowing
He said that he fell to the ground and then realized that blood was flowing from a wound in his stomach area. He said that he began shouting “ah get shoot, ah get shoot”. Shortly after that he said he was rushed to the hospital.
King who said “ah born and grow in the market”, stated that though he relocated to Berbice nine years ago he would travel to Georgetown once a week to sell. The man said that based on what the medical staff had told him, the bullet has been removed.
He stressed that he is grateful to be alive. The man said that he also farms and the current situation he is in will prevent him from tending to his crops and earning a living. “Me nah know wha gon happen now”, the man said wiping tears from his eyes.
“Meh life flash before meh”.
Surrounded
At Bourda Market, Gardner and his wife were surrounded by persons to whom they recounted their ordeal. Both of them were gun butted to their heads during the 15-minute attack and when they spoke with Stabroek News they were complaining of terrible pains in the head.
Gardner who was the more vocal of the two said that he has been selling in the market for several decades now; first with his mother as a little boy and later by himself.
While speaking with Stabroek News the man broke down into tears saying that his life flashed before him and he immediately thought of what would become of the five children he had with Persaud.
The man said that he and his wife would come out to sell every afternoon and would leave at nights. Based on what he explained to this newspaper he would sell from his vehicle while his wife would sell similar goods at another location nearby. The couple sells fruits and vegetables inclusive of limes, tomatoes, celery, seasoning and carrots. The goods are taken on a credit basis from a businessman who they would pay a certain amount of money to at the end of each week.
Gardner said that his wife after she was finished selling decided to take a nap in the cabin of the canter while he continued selling. He said that around 22.30 hours he started to pack up. He said that at some point something fell off from his scale as he was lifting it into the truck. “Is while I bending down to pick up this thing I feel like somebody come and shove something in meh side and seh don’t move, pass all the money”, he said noting that he was at the front right hand side of the vehicle which made it very difficult for persons along North Road to see what was happening. Also at that time, a vehicle was nearby playing very loud music.
He said that he turned around and said “buddy is wha happen to yuh”, which resulted in him being hit in his head with a gun. The gunman, he recounted instructed him to pass all the money and the gold. The man started to empty Gardner’s pockets of the cash he had made for the day. They also took his gold ring with around 20 pennyweights of gold and two gold chains.
“While he hunting me pockets me ain’t know where these two more come from. One hunch meh hey with he gun and de nother one lash meh with he gun and ah go down”, he recalled, his terrified expression visible. He said that he was lashed countless times with the weapons.
Clueless
The man said that his wife was clueless as to what was happening as she was locked up in the vehicle asleep. He said that he told the men he had nothing else but they kept asking for the bag with the money.
“If yuh ain’t pass de bag with de money we gon kill yuh hey tonight”, he recalled being told. With three guns trained on him, he told the gunmen that he had a small bag in the truck with books and documents but there was no money there.
He said that it was at this point that the men opened the door to the cabin of the truck and saw Persaud. The woman unaware of what was happening awoke and she was almost immediately gunbutted to her head.
He said that a relative of his was nearby and just before they opened the cabin door, one of the gunmen had stuck him up but he managed to run off and alert persons about what was happening.
According to Gardner, King who was standing nearby was earlier helping him to pack up. It was when he heard Persaud scream, he said, that he became aware of what was happening and ran to the truck door. It was then that he heard a loud explosion.
He explained that one gunman was with him, another with his wife and the third was already fleeing the scene with the valuables. He said the one who was guarding him said “come rasta man don’t move, ah gon kill yuh”. Seconds later the man ran off.
Running away
He said that during the robbery he was contemplating running away or jumping into the nearby canal but he said he immediately thought of Persaud who could have been seriously wounded if the men opened fire behind him. “I mind tell meh `no Errol, stay and tek yah blows cause if yuh run dem man gon open fire’”, he said shaking his head.
Amidst tears he said “ah had to beg dem fuh meh life. Ah got five children to look after. If ah dead and lef dem what gon happen…They really hurt meh. They (the gunmen) carry way all meh earning. That money is not really me money”. He later asked what he is going to tell the man he credited the goods from when he comes for his money this weekend.
Gardner said that although this is the first robbery he has suffered, he cannot stop selling as it is his only means of earning money. “Ah can’t stop. Is a risk ah gotta take”, he said. He said that the reason he stays at the market late at nights is because he caters for those customers who work late.
He said that after the robbery he immediately turned his attention to his bleeding wife. He along with Persaud and King were taken to the Georgetown Hospital.
He said that he was lucky to be alive as “no weak person couldn’t tek them blows”, showing this newspaper countless stitches in his head.
The man said that he was poorly treated when he was taken to the hospital and it took hours before he received medical attention. He said that when he went into the treatment area of the emergency room, his head drenched in blood, the doctor told him that he has to sit and wait because there was no chart for him. “Imagine I tek me hand and rub it in meh head and all five of meh fingers din cover with blood and he (the doctor) tell meh go outside”, the now upset man recalled. “Stitch up de wounds right away. Ah got wounds and ah bleeding. The chart could always write up later”, he said.
Persaud later told this newspaper that the men collected her apron with all her money. “I must thank God for life”, she noted. She said that she is so traumatized she hasn’t even contacted her relatives to tell them what had happened to her. She said that during the ordeal she was very scared
Police protection
Gardner said that robbery is a regular occurrence at the market stressing that there are supposed to be at least four police locations with two ranks each inside day and night. He said that if such a system is put in place, robberies in that area will be significantly reduced. He pleaded with the police to act swiftly to protect vendors.
He recalled that a few months ago, five vehicles along North Road were robbed by four gunmen who were able to calmly walk away from the scene.
Meanwhile, King told this newspaper that this was also his first robbery experience and he also called for security measures to be put in place at the market immediately. “They ain’t really got no security around there”, he said noting that (city) constables usually walk around but their role is not to provide them with security. He called on the police to ensure that vendors plying their trade at the market are protected.
