Bandits yesterday morning stormed the Region Six compound and carted off $50m in cash which was to be paid to part-time workers and hours after one of the suspects was shot dead at Heathburn and two persons arrested.
The raid had all the hallmarks of an inside job in a compound where four unarmed guards were on duty. The dead suspect is yet to be identified. Those arrested were Lawrence Vanlewyn and Tarrique Pollard.
Based on information gathered, just around 3.10 am yesterday, four bandits, one armed with a handgun invaded the compound located at Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam from the back.
The Guyana Police Force in a statement yesterday said that security guard, Suresh Sooknanan, 60, told investigators that at the time of the incident he was on duty at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in the guard hut located at the back of the compound while the three other security guards were on duty at other locations.
Sooknanan relayed that four men entered the compound from the eastern fence and dealt him a lash to his forehead with an object. The men then tied his hands behind his back, duct-taped his mouth, and left him in the hut as they proceeded to the location where the money was being kept.
Stabroek News was told that the men broke into a heavily grilled room next to the Accounts Departments where a large sum of money was being kept. Following the incident, police discovered two windows to the Accounts Department on the southern side opened.
“Entry was seen to a door to the southern side of the building, where access was gained into the building and inside a room where an undisclosed amount of cash was kept. The room had an access door with reinforced grill works, which was broken off, and the undisclosed amount of cash was reported missing”, the police report noted.
Region Six Chairman, David Armogan yesterday told Stabroek News that the money stolen was present at the location to be paid out to about 1000 part-time workers who will now be affected. The workers were expected to be paid yesterday and today.
Armogan explained that previously the money would be taken to the schools to be paid out, however, after the schools no longer wanted to keep such large sums the money was to be kept by the region.
Going forward, Armogan said that systems will have to be put in place to protect these monies noting that the police would have highlighted the same to them following the incident.
“It is obvious that the security system that we have in place with one stationary guard at the back here and two of them at the front gate and one somewhere else, that’s insufficient with no arms, that’s insufficient to deal with a set of men coming in with arms”, he said.
Armogan added that to his knowledge this is the first time that bandits have pounced on the RDC.
Shoot-out
Meanwhile, just around midday yesterday based on information gathered police officers intercepted motor car, PSS 3448, at Heathburn Village, East Bank Berbice with the suspected bandits and a shoot-out followed resulting in the death of a man who is still unidentified.
The force in a statement said that when the ranks signalled the driver to halt, he slowed and pulled to the western corner of the road and stopped.
However, as the ranks began to approach the vehicle, the police said that the suspects shot at them (three loud explosions were heard), and the vehicle sped off. One of the ranks returned fire, discharging a round in the direction of the fleeing vehicle. This would have been the round that struck the suspect in the head.
Five persons were observed in the fleeing vehicle which suddenly stopped about eight hundred metres away.
Police ranks gave chase in one of the force’s vehicles and by the time they reached the vehicle, they observed four persons exiting, three of whom ran to the western side of the road towards the river, while the driver lay on the ground.
While fleeing the scene, the three suspects discharged several rounds at the police, the law enforcers said.
“The Ranks gave chase, but the suspects managed to escape. Police checked the vehicle, and a male was seen sitting in the front passenger seat, his body tilted towards the driver’s seat with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the back of his head and blood on the vehicle’s floor”, the statement noted.
He was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A handgun was found next to the gear stick.
Residents in the area yesterday told Stabroek News, that they heard gunshots after which they saw police running after three men to the river area. It is suspected that the men escaped via the Canje River.
The driver of the car has since been identified as Tarrique Pollard also known as ‘Tari’, a 33-year-old taxi driver from Mahaicony. He is presently in custody, assisting with the investigation, while the car PSS 3448 is presently lodged at the Central Police Station along with the suspected firearm, knives, and a cutlass which were found in the vehicle.
Furthermore, the police last evening confirmed that another suspect Lawrence Vanlewyn was arrested in connection with the robbery. Stabroek News was told, that the man was arrested late yesterday afternoon on the East Bank of Berbice.
According to the head of the police communications unit, Mark Ramotar, Vanlewyn was slated to appear in Berbice today to answer to a charge of armed robbery. He noted that “police are pursuing other suspects.”
Additionally, a source close to the investigation stated that investigators have been questioning staff attached to the accounts and housing departments at the RDC.
In April the Ordnance/Fort Lands Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) was broken into and $1.2m which was supposed to be paid to part-time workers, and $141,000 in stipends and taxes were stolen.
Two men, one armed with a handgun had invaded the NDC located along the Cumberland Public Road in East Canje Berbice and held the guard at gunpoint.
Stabroek News had reported that while one bandit stood with the guard downstairs, the other broke into the NDC building which was secured with a hasp and staple, and stole the money after which they both escaped on the bicycle they arrived on.
The money had arrived at that location the previous afternoon to be paid out to the part-time workers, as is the same case with the sum stolen from the RDC.
