A group of armed bandits on Sunday evening escaped with over $11 million in cash and cellular phones after ambushing a Vilvoorden, Essequibo businessman and his family.
During the attack, which took place between 8.30 pm and 9.30pm on Sunday, businessman Naime Sabar, 28, says that the men threatened to kill one of his sons unless he followed their instructions.
The seven bandits, all of whom were masked and armed, attacked Sabar and the other members of his family upon returning home from a mosque. Sabar, who owns and operates a cell phone store, lives with his 23-year-old wife and their two sons.
Sabar yesterday told reporters that at the time of the attack he and his family were returning home from their masjid. “I came from masjid and I was just opening my gate to come in and my wife and my two kids was with me. One of them (bandits) run and get my wife and put a cutlass on she neck and the other three was bare machine gun. They hold my two sons and one came straight up to me and then they start tell us how to do, what to do and when to do,” he related.
Sabar, who was battered about his body during the attack, said they threatened to kill one of his sons if he did not hand over cash.
In fear, Sabar was forced to show the men $7 million in cash he had in his bedroom. They then continued to beat him while demanding that he open the truck parked in his yard. He complied and the bandits carted off about $4 million in iPhones. “I had to give them because they hold my son at ransom. They were going away with him and they hold knife to his neck and so forth,” he added.
They then escaped.
An alarm was raised and the police were contacted.
However, up to yesterday morning Sabar related that no police had visited his home to investigate.
“Up to now, I am home alone. At this moment, no police ever came to my place to do anything,” he lamented.
Sabar explained that while his stolen phone could be tracked and he provided the police with the whereabouts of the bandits, they reportedly told him that they did have the equipment to chase after the men. “I showing the police where the thief was. I coulda identify exact place and time. Well what happen they took a boat from the water side and I could have seen how they moving in the river because you know I have my tracking device link to other phones and I am showing the police. The police told me they don’t have any authority, they don’t have any boat, they don’t have any gun and they can’t do anything,” Sabar, however, said.
“I track them from Essequibo straight to Hog Island. Hog Island was where the tracking device was off,” he added.
Stabroek News understands that the police subsequently interviewed several persons but no arrest had been made up to press time yesterday.
