An Upper Corentyne moneychanger was this morning robbed of millions of dollars in cash and jewellery by fourteen men, some of whom were armed with high-powered weapons.
The businessman, Devendra Churaman called “Katac”, 48, of Lot 93 Albert Street, #79 village, Corentyne, Berbice told Stabroek News the chilling robbery occurred sometime around 2 am.
He said that nine of the gunmen surrounded his house while five entered after breaking a window with the aid of a sledgehammer. At the time of the robbery, Churaman said he was the only person home. The bandits, he said, fired three gunshots while they were in the house and held him at gunpoint as they demanded cash and jewellery. The jewellery that the gunmen escaped with has an estimated value of $1 million.
The nine men who stood guard outside, Churaman said, fired off several shots to scare off neighbours.
When Stabroek News contacted commander of ‘B’ Division, Errol Watts, he confirmed the robbery did occur and said that investigations are still active. He said that based on preliminary investigations it is alleged that 14 men carried out the attack.
The Berbice police command was recently shaken up. The APNU+AFC government has faced pressure all across the country over the crime wave. The scale of today’s attack will add to concerns that criminal gangs are continuing to operate with great ease and don’t feel threatened by the police.
