Vehicle found with different licence plate
A Diamond taxi driver endured a terrifying ordeal on Monday night, when his three passengers forced him into the trunk of his car at gunpoint and after driving for some time released him in Albouystown but not before fleeing with his vehicle.
Safraz Baig sustained a head wound after being gun butted by one of the men. His car, HB 5525, an AT 212 Carina, was found at an undisclosed city location yesterday morning with a different number plate and a number of items missing.
Police in a statement said that they are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at around 9:45 on Monday night at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, during which Baig also of Diamond was attacked and robbed by three men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.
Investigations have revealed that Baig was hired by the three men from the Diamond Car Park to go to 19th Street, Diamond. Along the way he was held at gunpoint and placed in the trunk of the motor car.
The perpetrators drove the vehicle to Sussex Street where the victim was released and then escaped with his white motor car, the police said.
Baig is the latest taxi driver in the past few weeks to suffer at the hands of passengers who turned out to be armed.
Recounting his experience, the taxi driver told Stabroek News yesterday that the three men joined his car as passengers saying that they wanted to be taken to a shop to pick up a woman. However when they had reached their destination the passenger in the front seat pulled out a handgun which he kept trained on Baig while one of his accomplices held him in a head lock.
The third man, he said, exited the vehicle and opened the driver side door. Baig was ordered out and was told to get into the trunk but put up some resistance.
The man told Stabroek News that the gunman struck him in the head with the weapon and he later got into the trunk.
The man then re-entered the car and began driving. According to Baig, he attempted to open the truck but the men apparently became aware of his intentions and after using expletives while threatening to shoot him, they took off his belt and trussed him up.
When the men had reached Albouystown, they took Baig out of the trunk and told him to run before they shot him. They then drove off.
The man went to the home of a relative and contact was made with the police. Several trips around the city that night failed to locate the vehicle but Baig got information yesterday morning that the car had been found.
When Baig saw his car at the Brickdam Police Station, he said there was a different number plate and the alarm, tape deck and DVD player among other items were missing.
He told this newspaper that the police took pictures and dusted the vehicle for fingerprints but did not release any information such as where the car was found, to him.
He told Stabroek News that he was the victim of carjackers earlier this year and his car was later found in the Herstelling area. Nothing was taken.
Last Thursday Lincoln Seales was hired to take three men to Linden but when he arrived in the mining town, he was knocked out with a chemical substance, tied up and left in a sandy area.
The men escaped with the car, cash and a cellular phone.
When the La Bonne Intention (LBI) resident came to several hours later, he managed to use a second cellular phone that the bandits did not find to contact a friend for help.
A taxi driver attached to GR taxi service was held up by two passengers two weeks ago and after being gun butted, stabbed and shot at, the men escaped with his car, cash and other items.
Faran Asif Yassen had told Stabroek News that around 4 am on Monday a man stopped him in front of the Sheriff Night club and inquired about the fare to Bel Air. (Zoisa Fraser)
