A lone gunman yesterday robbed a Skeldon money changer and a vendor of a total of $525,000 in cash at the Skeldon Market.
Daneshwar Panalall, also known as ‘Peter’, 40, of Springlands, told Stabroek News that he and Vibert Dan, a vendor at the market, were seated on a bench in front of Dan’s stand when the suspect approached them just around 7.45 am.
According to Dan, every morning after stacking his stand he and Panalall usually sit on the bench in front of the stand. However, yesterday morning while sitting there the suspect passed with a bag. “He push he hand in the side bag and pull out a gun and he just clock it and he say ayo give me ayo money and he run through the boy wah a change money [Panalall] pocket and take way all he money wah he been get and he come to me and point the gun an push he hand inside me pocket and take all the change money wah me does get pon the stand here and he carry away me wallet and he collect the phone,” he said.
Panalall said, the suspect stole $500,000 in total from him, which includes US$240, while Dan said the man stole $25,000, his wallet and his cellphone.
Dan noted that $1,000 fell to the ground and as he attempted to pick it up the suspect returned with the gun for the note “and he pick it up and he run and he gone.”
According to the businessmen, they attempted to chase after the suspect on a bicycle but were unable to keep track of him as he quickly fled the area.
A police report has since been filed and by yesterday afternoon some persons were being questioned, a source told Stabroek News.
In January, Panalall was robbed of $3 million in cash while on his way to the market to ply his trade. He had related that he was attacked by three masked bandits who had a cutlass.
In January, the man told Stabroek News that the bandits used the cutlass to knock him off his motorcycle after which they continued to assault him while checking his pockets, in which they found the money.
