Apart from the lone person who has been charged, the police are hoping to make a major breakthrough in the Corentyne cambio dealer robbery during which over $20 million in cash and jewellery were carted off.
This was revealed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who recently told reporters that investigators have been working around the clock and have since received some vital information in relation to the robbery.
“I am quite certain we will be able to make a major breakthrough soon,” Blanhum said.
Around 2 am on December 12, a gang of 14 men, heavily armed with AK 47s, other guns and cutlasses, invaded the Lot 93 Albert Street, Number 79 Village, Corentyne, Berbice home of money changer Davendra Churaman called “Katac” and carted off a quantity of cash and jewellery.
Several persons including an ex-police officer and a woman were arrested for questioning but only one man has so far been charged, after he was positively identified during an identification parade. The other suspects were subsequently released.
The man, Clive Van Lewin, 18, of Sand Hills, Berbice River appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts’ on Monday and was remanded to prison.
The charge against him read that on December 12, at Number 79 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, while in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Churaman of a quantity of local and foreign currency totaling $22,500,000.
Churaman had told Stabroek News that five men gained entry to his home by breaking his front window and removing his iron grill with a sledgehammer. Neighbours had related that nine men stood guard outside and repeatedly discharged rounds in an effort to deter residents from rushing to Churaman’s aid. The five men who invaded the cambio dealer’s home had held him at gunpoint and fired off several shots in the home, before Churaman complied with their demands that he hand over the cash.
A total of eight 7.62×39 spent shells, 21 live 7.62×39 rounds of ammunition and two spent 12- gauge cartridges were discovered at the scene after the attack.
