Bandits went on a rampage at Bush Lot, West Berbice early yesterday morning, breaking into two homes and several businesses and in the worst of it C & S Computer Repairs suffered over $5M in losses and damage.
An employee of C & S, Charran Singh told this newspaper that the bandits carted off two flat-screen monitors, a pair of speakers and ink from a printer amounting to about $2.7M. They also damaged $3M worth in equipment.
According to him the landlord went to open his hardware store located on the lower flat and noticed that the door on the bottom of the stairway leading to the computer business was open. He also noticed that the padlock had been ripped off and thrown on the ground.
He immediately contacted the owner, Vishnu Mahadeo as well as Singh, who made checks and assessed his losses.
When this newspaper visited yesterday a computer hard drive, printer and several other items were scattered on the floor.
A large steel rod, which was apparently used by the bandits to wrench open the locks, was also left on the counter.
Khemraj Persaud, a land surveyor who also owns a grocery store said that he was shocked when he woke up at around 6:30 am yesterday to
discover that bandits had raided his home.
He said they carted off more than $1M worth in jewellery, $100,000, a quantity of items from his shop and his Razr cellular phone
while he and his family were fast asleep. A carton filled with tools, bicycle parts, cigarettes and chocolates was left behind on a table by the bandits.
The man also said that the robbers emptied two calculators and a radio set from his backpack that he used for work to stash some of their loot.
He figured that the robbery occurred at around 3 am because when he got up at around 2 am to use the washroom everything seemed fine.
He said he normally wakes up at the slightest sound and suspected that the bandits must have sprayed the house with some chemical so they would sleep through the robbery.
It was not until he got up that he discovered first that the door to the inner stairway and one at the side of the house were open. The
damaged padlocks were also thrown on the floor.
Across the road from the C & S Computer Repairs, bandits also raided the Ultra Clear Purified Water Service belonging to Kamal Sheriff and
stole two five-gallon bottles and other items.
Sheriff told this newspaper that at around 6:45 am someone called to purchase water and when he went downstairs with the intention of
opening up he discovered that the place had been ransacked.
Sheriff also rents other sections of his building to the Cheddie and Sankar Fashions and the Little Rock Television Station for a
sub-office and Salim’s Jewellery.
He said several items were missing from the fashion store and the owners removed the other pieces for safekeeping. It was also
evident that the bandits made a failed attempt to break into the jewellery store.
Nikita Tejram, an employee of Little Rock said she got a call about the break-in and when she arrived she saw the drawers pulled out
and photographs and other documents scattered all over. All that was missing, she said is a staple machine.
The bandits also broke into the home of a Canadian-based resident who was not around at the time. This newspaper learnt that the home was
ransacked but it is not clear if anything was stolen.
