Burglars carted away millions from a Stabroek Market jewellery store and officials believe that other market stallholders may be involved.
The Cosmopolitan Jewellery Establishment, owned by Radika Samuels, was looted sometime Monday night by burglars who used a blow torch to cut their way through the roof of the stall. Once inside, they carted off millions in cash and jewellery.
As a result of the robbery, all entrance and exit points at the Stabroek Market were sealed off yesterday morning as constables checked stalls for stolen goods and equipment that could have been used in the crime.
“Is share stupidness them doing here. They lock up the place fuh look fuh the stuff them thief. Them things mussy done gone out of here, watch how long market open,” remarked an angry stallholder, as it was pointed out that since the market is opened at 6am, goods or equipment from the robbery could have already been removed in the three-hour gap before the burglary was detected.
Samuels arrived at the market around 9 am and discovered the stall door opened and one of the lights on, which aroused her suspicions. She later found the vault had been broken into and emptied.
“I went in and started to check and I noticed everything missing, all de jewellery and money and everything,” she said, explaining that she had silver, gold and diamond jewellery in addition to precious stones and other articles.
Amidst tears, Samuels noted that the stall had been in existence over 70 years, during which time it was passed from one generation to the next. She inherited it from her late husband. She added that it was the second time since she has been operating the stall that it was looted.
“About 15 years ago we were robbed and they took everything from the stall and we are still waiting for them to hold somebody,” she recounted.
There was a neatly cut hole at the top of the stall indicating the point of entry and fuelling suspicions that the crime was linked to others in the market.
“Every time a stall get break in, is the same size ah hole it get on the roof and I think is the same people dem doing this and they got to get ketch fast,” said a stallholder.
Although Samuels’ stall is surrounded by at least three working security cameras, it is unclear whether any of them picked up footage of the robbers. The woman’s stall also had an alarm system, but it reportedly did not go off. Later, when Stabroek News visited the stall, a city constable clashed with a member of a private security firm responsible for the alarm during the course of the investigations that were being conducted.
Y’all does come and want play police in here,” bellowed a constable to the security official.
“This is my location and I have to investigate, since we are responsible for the alarm and it did not go off,” the official responded.
“This is my market and I can put you out,” replied the constable.
“The alarm is the property of us, so I got sent here to investigate why it did not go off, so I am doing that,” the guard replied before storming out of the market.
The exchanges between the duo shocked onlookers, including a distraught Samuels, who was about to be questioned by the security official.
Meanwhile, City Hall spokesman Royston King said that the burglary seemed
to implicate someone in the market, as it was evident that the act was committed during the course of the evening with a blow torch, which could have been easily stashed away in one of the stalls.
“Since the constables do not patrol the market, that would have made the job much easier,” he explained, while adding that the constabulary has enlisted the aid of the police for the investigations as the force is better equipped in this area.
In response to reports of security guards from the private firms being denied entry into the market to investigate when they receive reports of threats, King said that he was unaware of such instances. He added that whenever such reports are received, the private security guards are allowed entry, providing they report to the constabulary outpost.
Meanwhile, there were also robberies of stalls at Bourda Market between Monday night and yesterday morning. A grocery was broken into but the owner declined to comment. The nearby Yousuff’s Pharmacy was also burgled but efforts to contact the owner, Diane Ramlall, for comment, proved unsuccessful.
