A Tuschen business was robbed on Monday night by four masked men, who held staff and customers at gunpoint during their raid.
Clarence Cozier, of Tuschen New Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, who is the owner of the Clarence Grocery and General Store, told Stabroek News that the robbery occurred within minutes and the bandits escaped with approximately $100,000.
Cozier recalled that around 8.30 pm, he and his staff were preparing to close the shop when the four men barged in and forced the staff and customers to lie on the ground. The businessman said that when he saw the masked men bolting through the entrance, he immediately ran out of the store to the back and hid until the attack was over.
Cozier stated that when he reviewed the surveillance camera footage, he saw two of the bandits standing guard over the staff and customers, while the other two ran into the office and stole the cash. They then made good their escape, he added.
Asked whether he suspected any particular persons of involvement in the robbery, Cozier said he believed the perpetrators were the same persons responsible for a past break-in at the store.
He noted that his belief stems from the fact that the men seemed to be aware of the layout of the store as they had run towards the counter, where the money was kept.
In April, 2014, some $2 million in cash was stolen from the store during a break-in. Police had arrested two persons, including a 16-year-old boy, after they were allegedly caught on camera bagging the cash during the break-in. As a result of the investigation, police had also recovered a total of $704, 000. The accused in the crime were, however, freed.
Cozier said the 2014 breakage had left him in an embarrassing situation because the stolen money belonged to his creditors. Cozier further stated that he never received the recovered money from the Leonora Police Station. He explained that when he had enquired about the money, police told him that there was a scam at the station and his money was involved.
A frustrated Cozier noted that he had previously begged the police to hand over the money but he was told that it would be better if the money was kept in police custody as they would be able to use it as a part of their evidence against the accused. The victim of the robbery said he trusted the police that he would get the money when the matter was finished in the court but he never received anything.
In October of 2014, it was reported that a Sergeant from the station was a part of a $6M fraud. It is unclear if that probe was ever completed.
