“These men were sent and for a specific purpose,” Immigration Consultant Balwant Persaud said after a trio including two armed men robbed his Oronoque and Robb streets office yesterday morning.
Persaud told Stabroek News that the men escaped with his laptop, all his clients’ files, four memory sticks and his cellular phone. He said they came into his office around 9.30 am at the same time with one of his clients, on the pretext of examining computers he has for sale. Persaud said that as soon as he had concluded business with his client two of the bandits pulled out silver hand guns and told him to “shut up and you won’t get hurt.” One gunman proceeded to the bathroom behind Persaud’s Secretary Chandroutie Narine whom they had seen leave earlier; while the other two tied him up with computer cables and his belt.
The other gunman then brought Narine back to the front of the office where they proceeded to tie her up. They then taped their hostages’ mouth with duct tape found in the office.
Both Persaud and Narine said the men repeatedly asked him what problems he had with two persons who they named. Persaud said he told the men that he had never spoken to nor does he know either individual. After some time, the men reportedly told Persaud that he had been “set-up.” They then demanded to know where the money and jewellery were as they headed into Persaud’s bedroom which was located one room away from his office.
Persaud said the men then took his briefcase which contained $1.3 million; money which he said belongs to a client. He said during the half-hour robbery, the bandits made two phone calls to “find out what to do with him” as they emptied drawers of files, “bills, rental, lease, client files…everything.” The man said it would be difficult to proceed with his work when all his data, even the soft copies, are gone. He said the men even took three passports that belonged to a client but strangely they returned a pouch containing his passport and credit cards when he asked for it. He said they then left as effortlessly as they had arrived and he loosened his and Narine’s bonds and reported the matter to the police. Persaud said while the police took statements and dusted for fingerprints he wonders if robbery was the motive why the men removed all the data from his office. He said the men were between 18 and 25-years-old and though he has been a practising consultant for three years he had never before experienced such a situation.
Meanwhile, Narine told Stabroek News that she neither heard nor saw anything suspicious while she was in the bathroom and she only became aware of what was taking place after she was accosted with a gun. The woman said the gunman placed his weapon at her temple and ordered her to stay quiet while he escorted and placed her to sit beside her boss, then he bound her. Narine said she felt numb throughout the episode and only “begged them not to hurt me.” She said the men took a band she was wearing which was not gold, and though they tried to take her ring they could not get it off her finger. (Melissa Charles)
