Following recent attacks by robbers, Stabroek Market vendors believe they are being targeted and they say police are not doing enough to find the people responsible.
There have been at least three robberies since the end of last month at the homes of stallholders, including businessman Frank Persaud, who was killed during the robbery.
On Sunday, stallholder Albadar (only name) called on the police to investigate a spate of robberies by two men, who are suspected to be part of an organised gang which has been targeting market vendors. His call came after he and his partner Reshma Bisnauth were confronted by two gunmen soon after they arrived at their Vigilance, East Coast Demerara home, around 7 pm on Saturday evening.
The robbers relieved Albadar of his licensed .32 pistol and $1.3M and later escaped on foot. He recalled that as he approached his home, he had seen the two men standing on the corner and he subsequently saw them walking behind a young woman, who was also heading in the same direction as he was at the time. After the robbery, he said, the men calmly headed west out of the street, where persons recalled them boarding a car.
Albadar’s stall is located in the vicinity of a stall which is owned by the late Persaud, the Bel Air Village businessman who was killed during a robbery at his home on the evening of July 31.
Persaud, 44, of Lot 1, Area L, First Street, Bel Air Village, was killed after three men, purporting to be Guyana Revenue Authority officers, visited his man’s home under the pretext of carrying out a search of his property. His wife, who answered the door, was subdued by one of the men and the man’s accomplices took Persaud to the back of the home and duct-taped him. He was later pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Stallholder Deonarine Nanan has also been targeted and he has accused police of ignoring key evidence.
Nanan was robbed two Saturdays ago by two men. The attack occurred as he pulled up in front of his Republic Park home around 6:15 pm.
He said he and his wife were in the vehicle at the time and the two men walked towards him and pounced, with one man drawing a firearm and pointing it to his head while the accomplice frisked him for his valuables.
Nanan said that the two men asked repeatedly for a firearm and after he indicated that he did not have one, they relieved him of him and his wife of their mobile phones as well as $15,000. He said the men, who also took a purse which contained his wife’s United States passport, among other important documents, calmly walked out of the East Bank Demerara community after committing the robbery.
Nanan made a report to the Providence Police Station and he informed the ranks about details he had but the lawmen showed him no interest. He said that he visited the police station the following day to make inquiries about the case, but the officers did not have any information. He said he was told that the investigating rank was not at the police station at the time and that he should “check back” two days later.
“I had to tell them over what happen … but I ain’t fighting up over it because the police ain’t seem to care,” a frustrated Nanan said, adding that the incident has left him and his wife traumatised.
Nanan’s stall in the market is located in the vicinity of Albadar’s stall.
A businessman told Stabroek News that from all appearances persons would stake out businesses in the market and plan with others to rob stall owners.
“Today(Monday) we notice something strange because normally it does got people walking and liming in this area but today nobody seeing them so it mean the police gat work to do,” a stall-owner related. She said that the stall-owners are keeping a watch on “limers” in the market.
