Bel Air contractor, workers robbed after visit to bank

A contractor and two of his employees were robbed by two gunmen who attacked them at Bel Air Village yesterday.

Police said contractor Ravindranauth Bhim, 42, of Lot 2 Bel Air Village, Greater Georgetown, was robbed of $300,000 cash, almost an hour and a half after he cashed a cheque at the Diamond branch of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry.

The attack occurred around 11.30 am, when two gunmen, who were on a motorcycle, robbed Bhim and workers Mark Henson, 38, who was relieved of a haversack containing two cellular phones valued at $122,000 in total, and Basil Puran, 37, who was relieved of $3,000.

After cashing a cheque at the bank, Bhim, police said, had travelled to Bel Air, where workers were awaiting payments.

When Bhim stopped his car on the road in front of the R. Mohabir Shop, the two perpetrators reportedly rode up alongside on their motorcycle and one of the bandits pulled out a gun and used it to break the driver’s side window and pointed the weapon at the contractor, who was driving. The bandit then instructed Bhim to exit the car and lie on the ground. He then ran through the man’s pockets and retrieved the $300,000. Simultaneously, the other accomplice ordered Bhim’s two employees to exit the vehicle and also searched them for valuables.

After taking the valuables from the three men, the robbers made their escape in an eastern direction.

Police said investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the area and several persons were questioned but no arrest was made up to last evening.