-collect $1.5M in attack
In a chilling attack, six masked bandits, armed with guns and a cutlass, took hostages on Sunday as they made their getaway after robbing a Corenytne family of over $1.5M in cash, jewellery and other articles.
The men abducted Simon Pallingum, 18, a neighbour who was visiting the family when the bandits struck at Lot 448 Number One Road, Corentyne at around 7:30 pm on Sunday. They took him to the seashore while making their getaway on foot. He was robbed of a silver band and a cellular phone.
They also caught up with four fishermen along the way and abducted them as well and demanded that they [fishermen] fetch the booty. When the men reached the Rose Hall area they instructed their captives to put down the articles and “run fuh yuh lives!” The bandits had stripped the family of $552,000, US$500, three cell phones, a quantity of jewellery valued $775,000, a CD player and other musical equipment. They used shopping bags from the house to carry the loot.
Police said last evening that they were investigating the robbery. They reported that during the escape by the bandits, they held the four fishermen, ordering them to run at the Kilcoy koker while discharging a round in the process.
Budnarine Surattan, 52, told Stabroek News that his wife, Devika Surattan, 44, son Devindra ‘Sunil’ Surattan, 27, his five-year-old grandson Nigel along with Pallingum were sitting outside when the bandits entered and ordered them into the house. He said they placed them to lie on the floor and tied his son’s hands behind his back. They then beat his wife severely about her head and body with the gun butt as they ransacked the one-flat house. The woman had to be taken to the doctor for treatment.
Surattan said Devindra had just gotten into the house after going out to purchase Chinese food and had left his jewellery, cell phones and a small amount of cash on the table and the bandits removed them.
Surattan, a spray painter and owner of two minibuses, was not at home at the time but returned at around 8:00 pm not realizing that bandits were invading his house. As he pushed open the door to enter he was given a rude welcome with a gun pointed to his head. The men also ordered him to lie on the floor and tied his hands behind his back. They then relieved him of $42,000 that was in his pocket, a gold chain and a cellular phone. “Me bin at a lost at first; me din expect all a dat was going on in meh house,” the man said. As he was on the floor the men noticed his pair of Timberland boots that he was wearing for the second time and one of them told another to “get that!”
He said he begged the bandits to untie his hands but first had to promise them that he would not “scream.” They also told him that if he made any noise they would shoot him and Pallingum. He said they also “run through” his driver’s license that contained a small amount of cash to pay for a “ticket” and he pleaded with them not to take the document and they did not.
According to Surattan, the bandits asked him to “hand over yuh gun” but he told them that he did not know how to “crank a gun much less to own one.”
He said although the men threatened to kill them no shots were fired and the neighbours were not aware that bandits were in the area. He said after the bandits left he alerted the neighbours.
His son went to the Albion Police Station to make a report and ranks immediately assisted in searching for Pallingum and the bandits. While he is distressing his loss, Surattan said “thank God that the bandits did not shoot or chop abe.” Police sources told this newspaper that they are still on the hunt for the bandits.
When will it end, the crime spree in guyana is out of control.
It will never end,it could only be controlled.This is the by-product of disbanding the black clothes,”the black clothes should be back”to restore order.
Where is the human rights group when civilians are the victim!!!they only seem to surface when criminals are killed.
Witch Dr.
You are dead wrong about the black clothes group. I will explain further below.
You are dead right with the comment; ‘It will never end, it could only be controlled’. Every single part of the world/planet has crime and it can only be controlled.
You are dead right on the Human Rights body being silent or very lacking in presenting a prompt public position on mainly robbery related crimes on civilians.
On the black clothes group issue, my disagreement is that brut, force, ignorance and illegal activity, results in a cyclical process escalating higher and higher over time. Worst of all, them men who are trained in this manner do the same thing for any other employer is willing to pay more. The experience is there all over South America; Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Argentina etc. Go read the research papers and reports of the investigative panels, both domestic and international ones. Even for us little Guyana, we saw the same in the ill advised Roger Khan strategy. The government probably tried what they thought was best at the time, but a little more broad seeking advice could have moves us 10 years ahead in crime fighting.
We need specialised crime squads urgently, with the necessary mandate and policies to bring some sustainable successes. Probably, with crime at such a level, parliament should consider a special or select committee which can then have arms through the 10 administrative regions and other necessary bodies, to help in information gathering and developing strategies.
Crime needs longer term planning and sustainable solutions. I know this all means jack to you now because you are in the midst of crime and emotions run high. But guess what, we were there before, several times too and unless we approach it with a sustainable strategy, any perceived successes will be short lived.
I am no expert in this area nor do I profess to be one, but my little experience in 2 developed countries, at strategic levels (my capacity was finance not crime) with forces responsible for populations over 1.3 million each, gives me little insight to make these humble comments.
Crime is everybody’s business, that is every type of crime, and strong institutions are needed to control crime.
Nonsense witch most of those people went to work for raja
WCD. Guyana is a poor country. The govt cannot fund these entities like ’specialised crime squads’. Heck, the govt can barely able to feed, clothe, and provide the bare necessities.
The community needs to band together and protect themselves. This will certainly discourage the casual criminal. The organised criminal element will of course have to deal with armed resisteance a per ‘Witch Dr’s’ suggestion.
WCD,to put everthing you said in a nut shell,we are back to my point.We don’t have a crime fighting unit that is equipped to cope with the modern day terrorism which GY is facing.
I agree,this “new” squad should have a new mandate but can they maintain it and for how long!!!You and I know the kind of environment that exist in GY …power..wealth…greed…lazyness etc,even Jesus would be tested.
Witch doctor the Black Clothes police were Killers. DO you have any idea how many innocent people those BC officer killed? The unit wasn’t disband because they were catching criminals and bring them before the courts…they were simply executing innocent people and most of them anyway joined the Phantom. So what does this tell you about your Blk Clothes Unit?
NotFromGT:
Quote: “The govt cannot fund these entities like ’specialised crime squads’. Heck, the govt can barely able to feed, clothe, and provide the bare necessities.”
You joking, right? I don’t even know where to start with this, so I’ll just say…check out pradoville.
Witch tell me something how can you sit here and haller that the crime rates esclated since the black clothes task force was shut down?
What has jagdoe / The Commandeer in chief been doing wid rohee these past 17 years? how have they modernized the force?
What have they spent to build a super communication network for the foolice? have they purchased any drones to track these criminals? Dont holler they dont have money because that is pure nonsense the attorney general is showing us all the Millions of US dollars that are unaccounted for so what exactly is the PPP doing with this money if they not spending it on security? tell me witch brew tell me!
The low solution rate for crimes in Guyana is an incentive to bandits. They lack fear of capture and subsequent punishment. Disciplined forces you have to earn your keep.
Bora you write very inteligently, but the name does not go with such sensible opinions. Suggestion! change the name to make it more synonymous with your writing.
More PPP success, time for rohee to up the ante and deploy more Community based policing groups they are the key to solving crimes and preventing crimes like these.
Success for the PPP success for rohee and the CPG’s
borapork, is it low solution rate for crimes here in toronto and other parts in canada too?
Armed resistance. Community watch/patrol. Do something instead of being sitting ducks. Indians are too passive. We have to protect ourselves.
Guyana needs another Roger Khan in every village
How is adding more drug dealers to every village going to solve the crime problem?
LAWLESSNESS AT ITS EXTREME.CRIMINAL ELEMENT ON RAMPAGE AND WILD ESCAPADES EVERYDAY. DO SOMETHING BUT THESE CRASSES.
criminals were in the police force way before the Black Clothes…..my brothers friend Chris, was shot and left to die on the street like a dog, not very far from the East Lapenitence police station in 1985… his crime? liking girls, and just happened to fall for one who was a former “sweet oman” of a “big one”. He was constantly threatened by this person, so when he died every one knew why and who, but were afraid to say anything.
I think that Criminals from GT & ECD are the ones that are going to Berbice to commit these crimes on those innocent people. Can SN do a little research and check to see, that since the Berbice Bridge was opened there has been more crimes in Berbice. The Bandits are using that bridge to escape. There need to be more police patrols in Berbice and More at the bridge.
You got that right!
The place is getting like Jamaica and Trinidad.Crime is out of control. There are simply too many criminals roaming Guyana.The government needs a Ministry of the Interior, operating along Soviet lines, to infiltrate,root out,and destroy the criminal elements in Guyana.It needs about one dozen of these Interior Ministry police squads, numbering about twelve men each, operating along the coast.
Whatever you say about Roger Khan he was instrumental in reducing crime in Guyana. Now he is no longer around this is what is happening.
Definately Saq, i totally agree with you!! we’re always living in fear cause of these bandits and you cant even call the police or the gdf cause they’re “ALL” the same!!