A second man now in custody following the Thursday morning raid on the National Cooperative Credit Union building on Regent and Oronoque streets, where seven guns along with ammunition and an undisclosed quantity of cash were stolen.
On Thursday evening, the police said that they had one man in custody and according to a source that person was an elderly night watchman, who hails from an East Coast Demerara community.
A police official told Stabroek News yesterday that they now have two persons in custody who are assisting with their investigations.
The official did not say if any of the persons were employed with or had close ties to the company but this newspaper understands that the watchman remains in custody and is being thoroughly questioned.
Police are still analysing the images obtained by surveillance video recordings from nearby businesses.
Police had said that a .32 pistol, a .32 revolver and five 12-gauge shotguns along with 45 cartridges were taken during the raid.
The building also houses the offices of the Caricom Insurance Company, Caricom Cement Company and Caricom Bottling Company, all under the holding company Safeco Incorporated.
The persons identified as the managers of the businesses refused to comment when contacted by this newspaper.
A resident, who lives nearby, told Stabroek News that three young men—one armed with a pistol and the other two with machetes—gained entrance to the building from the western side of the credit union building, sometime around 1.30 am and then proceeded to swiftly execute the heist.
“The men gained entry through Mr [name given] yard and cut the grill there and gained entry. The doors on the inside were weak. So, it wasn’t difficult for them to quickly venture through the building, which they did,” the resident explained.
“They tie up [the guard] and threaten him that if he made a sound they would out he lights. That man was real frighten I tell you. So, he wait till he guess they escape and try loosing heself and then call the big man and dem call the police and deh come,” the resident added.
Stabroek News was told that once inside the building, the men used the blow torches they had taken in knapsacks to break into a safe that stored the company’s money. It is unclear where the guns and ammunition were stored.
They filled their bags with the guns and cash and made good their escape in a car which was parked a short distance away in Oronoque Street.
A police source said the firearms cache belonged to the company’s internal security.
