Two armed bandits robbed a Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) family during the wee hours of yesterday morning after they had just arrived from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
The robbery occurred around 3:00AM yesterday at the family’s 11th Street, Back Half Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD residence. The Ramnarine family had just returned to Guyana from a trip to New York when the incident occurred.
Speaking to this newspaper, Mrs Ramnarine said she and her family has just pulled up in front of their house when they noticed a white vehicle passing them. The woman further stated that just after her husband exited the taxi, two men were spotted approaching them. Within seconds, the men, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife, pulled the taxi driver out of the car and held him at gun point while the other approached her while she was still seated in the taxi, held her at knife point and demanded that she hand over the bags. According to the woman, “I fight with him while he tried to get hold of the bags.” She added, “I hear the other one asking … if to shoot the driver but he say no that he got the bags already.”
While the ordeal, which lasted for less than 10 minutes was transpiring, the men warned Mr Ramnarine not to move or they would shoot him. In fear for his life he complied.
After getting both bags, the bandits emptied the pockets of Mr Ramnarine and his wife and carted off his wallet and other important documents such as their ID cards and cash. The bags also contained important documents belonging to other persons which the family had promised to deliver. The family also lost their passports, a quantity of jewellery, cell phones and two tablets. On average the family estimated their losses to be US$4,000.
The bandits made good their escape in the said white vehicle which according to the woman was parked a corner away. It was also related that the car may have carried a waiting accomplice while the robbery was carried out.
The family is still traumatized by the attack. They do not think they were followed from the airport but rather the robbery was committed by persons who received certain information about their movements.
In recent years there has been a growing number of these attacks on persons arriving from the airport.
