Eighteen million dollars in cash believed to be stolen during last week’s multi-million dollar robbery at gold trader Wallison Enterprise in Kitty was found buried in a West Bank Demerara back yard and two ranks of the Guyana Defence Force are currently in custody.
Investigators from the Major Crime Unit on Saturday night discovered the slabs of cash buried at the home of a Guyana Defence Force Officer in Region Three. A total of three persons including the GDF ranks are in custody assisting with investigations.
In a video circulated on social media and seen by this newspaper, investigators went to the home of a suspect and unearthed a hole in which they found a black plastic bag. Upon inspection, they saw a bucket that was secured in two large garbage bags. When the bucket was opened, the slabs of cash were found. Police later confirmed the amount to be $18 million.
The army in a statement last night said that two of their ranks are under investigation for the multi-million dollar heist. The statement added that their military police department is fully cooperating and assisting the police where necessary.
The GDF were however quick to assert that despite this allegation against two serving ranks, a “vast majority of our ranks are honest, hardworking Guyanese who are committed to providing professional service to the people and state of Guyana.”
The three bandits entered Wallison Enterprise at Lot 23 Gordon Street, Kitty, Georgetown, around 10.05 am last Thursday.
The men, who posed as customers, escaped with $38 million in cash, 60 ounces of raw gold valued $20 million and 2 cellular phones valued $360,000.
On Sunday, this newspaper reported that investigators had recovered evidence at the Sophia home of one of the suspects.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that information revealed that the bandits went the Sophia home of one of the suspects following the robbery where it is believed they split the loot.
This newspaper was told that evidential material was left behind and recovered by the police who searched the suspect’s home. The suspect, who sources say was employed by a well-known gold miner, is yet to be apprehended.
It is unclear what the recovered items are but this newspaper was told that one of the items is linked to Wallison Enterprise.
Police said the men entered the compound under the pretext that they were going to sell gold. The bandits wore masks and hats to hide their identities. They arrived at the scene in a white car, which they parked north of the building. They entered the compound through the main entrance.
Once inside the building, they held two employees, a 20-year-old female cashier and a 45-year-old goldsmith, at gunpoint and ordered them to the safe which contained the valuables.
According to the police, the men had told the cashier that they had gold to sell.
However, the bandits whipped out firearms and held her at gunpoint.
They ordered her into an office where the cash and gold were secured, “At the time the other victim and another man were in the said office and they were held at gun point,” the police report noted.
The suspects then ordered the victims to open two metal safes after which they handcuffed them with plastic straps. They then took away the victims’ phones, monies and gold mentioned after which they locked the victims into one of the office and made good their escape.
The cashier raised an alarm, after which the security guard immediately went to her rescue and kicked open the office door.
