Bandits rob DDL guards of guns, one recovered

The arrival of a mobile patrol thwarted an attempted break-in at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), Diamond, East Bank Demerara early yesterday morning but not before the bandits tied up security guards and relieved them of firearms and hand radios.

Police last night said that acting on information received an operation was conducted on the East Bank Demerara during which the stolen .32 revolver was retrieved. Two other firearms suspected to be illegal were also recovered and a man is in police custody.

Earlier in the day, police said that the incident was being treated as an armed robbery while the company described it as an attempted robbery.  According to a police press release two security guards were on duty at the DDL Head Office at Diamond around 1.15 am when they were attacked by the men. They were subsequently robbed of their 12-gauge shotgun and a .32 revolver and ammunition along with two radio communication sets. Crime Chief Seelall Persaud added that there was an attempt to break into an office but there is a system during the night whereby inspectors would check on the guards on duty. According to Persaud when the inspectors arrived, the perpetrators fled.

Stabroek News was unable to reach the company’s Managing Director.

However public relations representative Alex Graham said in a release that the men attempted to carry out a robbery after gaining access to the compound. It was not stated how this was done.

“In the attempt, the gunmen overpowered and bound three guards on duty at the time, relieving two of them of their firearms. The armed men were still trying to cut through security locks when the DDL mobile patrol arrived at the scene”, the release said.

The men, it said, fled with only the firearms and the police were later summoned.