PARAMARIBO – Monday’s robbery of a jeweler, which was supposed to be last one before they ‘retired’, became fatal to Just Goddard, Urby Burleson, Resa Amsinck and a certain Harrison. De Ware Tijd has learned from reliable police sources that the criminals had plans to flee to French Guiana and even the Netherlands in order to enjoy the spoils of the many robberies they had committed in recent years.
Police observed the suspects for quite some time, even tapping their phones, de Ware Tijd had learned. The four men were fatally shot during a confrontation with police units late Tuesday night. At a press conference yesterday afternoon, acting police Chief Humphrey Tjin Liep Shie said that five other members of the gang had been arrested earlier that day, and part of the more than 10 kilos of gold robbed from the jeweller had been found then. An amount of some SRD 100,000 was also seized from those suspects. After further detective work, including observation and pursuit, the four other suspects, including gang leader Goddard, were cornered and shot near the Maretraite-project at Tout Lui Faut.
Tjin Liep Shie said the investigation shows that this gang has committed more armed robberies, including of Malhoe at Fred Derbystraat, Savannah Casino, a money transport vehicle of Social Affairs and at Watermolenstraat. The police Chief stated that the gang used pistols, guns and an AK-47 machine gun. The four men killed during the shoot-out with the police were unarmed, yet Prosecutor General Subhaas Punwasi added that the policemen involved were justified in using their weapons, as this was necessary because the gang always used violence, was heavily armed during robberies and so the police took into account the possibility the suspects might be armed.
The gang members did not heed police orders to stop, and even after their vehicle was shot at they tried to flee. Once again, Justice Minister Edward Belfort called on wanted criminals to cease their activities and turn themselves in. He deplores the fact that the police operation cost lives, but added that the government is serious about curbing violent crime and maintain law and order in society.
