Wismar Post Office remains closed following robbery

The Wismar Post Office remained closed yesterday following the daring daylight robbery on Monday  in which an undisclosed sum of money was stolen along with a rifle from the uniformed police sentry.

Police yesterday said that parts of the rifle that was taken from the policeman have been retrieved along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

In a statement, police  said that at about 0730h yesterday, the police FN Rifle that was taken away from the constable during the armed robbery was recovered off the roadway in the vicinity of the “Millie’s Hideout” turn leading into Linden.

The magazine and ammunition were however not recovered.

“The Guyana Police Force wishes to express its appreciation to the citizens of the Linden community who assisted with the investigations and led to the quick recovery of the firearm”, the release said.

A source told Stabroek News it is believed that the robbers managed to board a Linden–Georgetown bus yesterday and while on the bus they were probably informed of the checks that were being made on such vehicles and they dismantled the weapon.

Meanwhile, several persons have complained about the increased arrests and interrogation that several young men were forced to undergo by intensified police activity in the wake of the robbery, particularly in the evening.

Apart from the inconvenience of having to cross the river to draw their pension at the Mackenzie Post Office, pensioners, who customarily collect their monthly pension at the Wismar Post Office had to endure, along with their Mackenzie counterparts longer lines.

A few pensioners, who witnessed the robbery, have criticized the laxity of the police sentry while others have criticized the poor security system that was in place. They say the Wismar Post Office has been repeatedly robbed of large sums of money and nothing has been put in place to increase the level of security at the facility.