Bandits beat, rob Berbice businesswoman

A 54-year-old businesswoman has been left traumatised and is now nursing wounds to her body after she was beaten by one of the three armed gunmen who invaded her business premises.

Businesswoman, Yassodra Singh

Reports are that Yassodra Singh of Lot 21 East Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, was in her grocery shop, which is situated at the lower flat of her two-storied home, when men pounced on her at about 08:45h. At the time of the incident, the woman’s nine and 10-year-old grandchildren were with her and witnessed the robbery.
Guyana Times was told that the lone male entered the Andrew Singh Grocery shop under the pretext of purchasing chicken feed.

Andrew Singh Grocery located at East Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, which was robbed

Speaking with this publication, the woman related that as she was weighing the chicken feed, the man asked her for a bottle of water.
She said she immediately went to get the water but as she got to the door, she was pushed to the ground by the man, who by then was masked and brandishing a handgun.
“He tell me pass up the money and the gold. By this time a next one come in and go and start tumble up the whole shop. He jock off the apron from me,” the woman related.
She related that the apron had in excess of $50,000.
However, although she complied with their demands, the man, who had initially posed as a customer, proceeded to choke her and then dealt several kicks about her body.
“Me still lie down on the floor and then he tell the other one to carry me upstairs because they ain’t get nothing yet. And I tell them that I ain’t get more money or gold upstairs.”
According to Singh, she was then dragged up the stairs which lead to the upper flat.
However, her maid, on realising what was happening, dashed to the door leading to the upper flat and locked herself inside the house.
The maid then climbed through a window at the front of the house and jumped onto a shed and made it into the neighbour’s yard where she raised an alarm.
“By the time she doing that, one of them run and come outside and sit down in the hammock with my two grandchildren and ask them where the money is. My grandson tell them look the bucket with the money down there because he tell them that if they don’t talk he gon shoot them,” Singh related.
According to her, the bucket contained over $140,000 along with close to $50,000 worth of phone cards. The bandits then made their escape and boarded an awaiting white motorcar.
Eyewitnesses said that after the alarm was raised, they immediately called the Reliance Police Station.
“Two times I call the Reliance Police Station and I didn’t get no response and then I call Central Police Station in New Amsterdam and they answer,” a neighbour related.
According to the source, there was a quick response from Central Police Station.
“Afterwards the CID [Criminal Investigation Department] from New Amsterdam and then the patrol from Reliance come.”
The Reliance Police Station is situated less than one mile away from Andrew Singh’s Grocery. Earlier this month, another businesswoman from East Canje, Berbice, was robbed.
On April 13 last, three men, armed with guns and a cutlass, barged into Indra’s Grocery, Beer Garden and Super Bet business on Galaxy Street, Canefield, East Canje, Berbice.
The armed trio ordered the customers to lie on the floor while they emptied their pockets of cash and valuables.
They then went to the home of the business owners and took cash and jewellery.
They then stole a car key from a customer in the shop and escaped with the vehicle. Police recovered the vehicle at the Edinburgh Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice.