A Number 56 Village, Corentyne family is in a state of shock and fear following an attack by armed bandits on Monday night.
Five armed men attacked a Corentyne family, knocking one member unconscious and battering and terrorising the others before escaping with over $3 million in cash and jewellery as well as a shotgun.
Jaiswah Boodnarine, 59, a rice and cattle farmer told Stabroek News yesterday that he was conversing with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and two family friends, when the bandits pounced on them. He said three bandits had guns and they gained entry to the premises by way of the rear fence and made their way through the garden to the house.
Boodnarine said that as the men attacked, they gun-butted him and he lost consciousness. He only came to after the ordeal was over, while he was being set free by a family member.
His wife, Mrs Boodnarine, recalled that three of the men took her to the upper flat and severely thrashed her as they demanded the valuables. “After them beat meh and demand the money and jewellery I had to take it and give them,” she said.
According to her, the men ransacked her entire home, both flats in their quest for more valuables. After she had handed over some $900,000 and the jewellery, she said, the men started to beat her more as they demanded her husband’s firearm.
“Like me get so stupid because I was shock… I couldn’t remember where the gun was,” she explained. The distraught woman said that after she could not find the firearm they gun-butted her and placed her in a bathroom on the bottom flat with the others.
Stabroek News was told that while the three were upstairs, two remained downstairs guarding the others who had been placed in the washroom.
According to the couple, the approximately one hour ordeal came to an end after the bandits found the gun and escaped.
When asked why they kept that amount of money at home the couple said they had sold a few head of cattle over last weekend and did not have the opportunity to take the money to the bank. Mrs Boodnarine also stated that they had planned to use the money for additional business. She said it was the first time they were robbed.
She said the men were not masked, except for one who had a piece of cloth tied over his mouth.
Stabroek News understands from the Boodnarines that several persons were picked up and taken into police custody.
