Corentyne residents incensed over a spate of robberies blocked the main road at No.48 Village yesterday after the latest attack and accused the police of involvement.
Divisional Commander Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph and other ranks later managed to persuade the residents to remove the trucks and other materials that were blocking the roadway and traffic is flowing freely.
A police release last night said that at about 1900h yesterday, four men armed with shotguns held up Lalman Ramdeen, 66 years, and his wife Vimlawattie Ramdeen, 62 years, in their grocery shop at No. 48 Village, Corentyne.
During the robbery, police say that a number of rounds were discharged by the perpetrators and they took away cash, jewellery and phone cards and then escaped on foot. No one was injured.
Police said that ranks of a mobile police anti-crime patrol in a white police motor car with flashing lights and which can be clearly identified as a police vehicle responded to the report received.
“Upon reaching the village and as the ranks arrived at the scene, residents began to claim that the police were involved in the robbery as they had seen a white car earlier travelling in a suspicious manner.
“The residents then proceeded to block the path of the police vehicle and also blocked the main road using two motor lorries and other materials which restricted the movement of traffic”, the police release said.
It added that Joseph and other ranks managed to convince residents to remove the obstructions.
The police said that the situation is presently being monitored as the investigations into the armed robbery continue.
“We fed up of these police here man…they had a robbery three-four days ago and when the people run out to flag down a passing patrol car dem speed way…tonight two old people get rob …and then we see the police park not far doing nothing and that get we vex vex you hear,” a resident only identified as Prem told Stabroek News last night.
After the robbery last night, Prem said that the elderly couple alerted neighbours who when they came out to render assistance saw the police vehicle parked not far away and became angry as they felt the men should have heard the cries for help.
The car, he said, sped away and returned shortly after.
However, when the police returned, the angry villagers surrounded the vehicle t but the men had already radioed for backup which arrived shortly after and tried calming the residents.
“Every time you call these police here dem nah come till long, long after they just wasting time…” he said.
Stabroek News recently reported that reeling from a spike in armed robberies in villages along the Corentyne Coast, some villagers have formed themselves into vigilante groups to patrol their communities at night.
During the recent Christmas season, residents of Numbers 49, 55, 56 and 57 villages suffered a series of stick-ups and home invasions, in which their families were traumatised and they lost millions of dollars in cash and property.
The vigilante groups would start patrolling from as early as 7 pm, ending in the wee hours of the morning.
