Three persons were yesterday arrested after gunmen raided the Shell gas station outlet at Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara and then traded bullets with the police during their escape.
The attack on the gas station occurred around 2am yesterday and saw the theft of a quantity of cash and a cell phone.
At the time, three persons were on duty; two pump attendants and a security guard. No one was injured.
According to a police statement on the robbery, three men, all armed with firearms, entered the gas station and held up the three female employees and took away a total of $51,000 and a cell phone.
The statement added that the police were alerted to the attack and upon their arrival to the scene there was an exchange of gunshots before the robbers managed to escape.
When Stabroek News arrived at the scene, the fuel station was open for business as usual although a quantity of shattered glass was seen around the premises.
Employees refused to comment on the robbery based on instructions given by their employer. However, according to information gathered by this newspaper, the men, who were all armed with handguns, entered the premises on foot from an eastern direction and subsequently held up the security guard. The guard was taken to the toilet area of the business, while one of the men guarded him and the other two proceeded to the cashier’s area. There, the cashier had already been locked in the booth but a shot was fired to break the padlock. The men then relieved her and a pump attendant of the cash and a cell phone.
At this point, the police were alerted and responded promptly to the scene, leading to an exchange of gunshots with the bandits, who managed to escape.
However, during an operation carried out by the police yesterday, three suspects were arrested and are currently in custody assisting with investigations.
One was arrested after the attack, when a search was carried out on a house at McDoom and an unlicensed 9mm glock pistol with several rounds were discovered. The two others were arrested yesterday afternoon.
