Bandits armed with a gun and hammer pounced on a Corentyne Superbet on Monday evening robbing patrons of a sports bar and leaving at least two persons injured.
Police Commander of Region Six, Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus yesterday said that a 35-year-old farmer of West Canefield, East Canje, Berbice has since been arrested for the robbery which took place at Suraj’s Sports Bar owned by Deochand Hemchand, also known as ‘Suraj’, at Lot 11 Farm, Corentyne.
Owner of the Superbet, Muneshwar Ramkishun, also known as ‘Kevin’, 25, of Lot 68 West Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, explained that he was in the Superbet when the three men pounced on them around 8 pm. “Them man start rob everybody from the front of the shop and come straight to the back.”
According to Ramkishun, he wasn’t aware of what was happening until he saw one of the bandits using the hammer he was armed with to “lash one man in he head with the hammer and then them kick one man in he head like ten times and then them knock the Superbet and tell me open the door.”
The man said the bandit attempted to hit him with the hammer also but he immediately pointed them to the drawer where the money was being stored.
“He collect the money and then them hit one of them boy with a gun and them run out”, he said.
Ramkishun also witnessed the bandits “biting off one ring” from one of his customers.
The bandits robbed Ramkishun of around $290,000 in cash and one gold chain worth around $158,000. Additionally, Permasawar Persaud, a 30-year-old mason of New Street, Cumberland, East Canje, was robbed of $45,000 in cash; Sookdeo Kedarnauth, a 33-year-old hire car driver from No. 19 Village in Corentyne, Berbice, was relieved of his gold chain worth $180,000 dollars; and Novashkar Sahadeo, a 27-year-old mechanic of Susannah Village, East Canje, Berbice, was robbed of his wallet containing a driver’s licence, US$200 and documents.
The bandits were not able to gain entry to the bar area because as soon as the owners noticed what was transpiring they locked their iron door which was built after they were robbed several times in the past.
According to Ramkishun, the men escaped on foot into the rice fields located behind the premises. However, he said that during the robbery he was able to identify one of the perpetrators from his posture although the men were masked up. “I tell he `is me you coming and rob bai’ and he ain’t seh nothing.”
The businessman who operates two Superbets said he found it odd that during the entire ordeal there was a vehicle parked outside of the bar blasting music “and no one from the car come inside, they just playing music while it going on and as soon as it done they drive away”, he reported.
