Bandits with high-powered weapons rob Lethem store
…captured in Brazil after shooting at local Police in chase
Three men are in custody in Brazil following an armed robbery at a Chinese store in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo).
The bandits pounced 43-year-old Chinese businessman, Wei Gao who is the owner of the ‘Shopping 25’ General Store in Lethem.
Reports are that the incident occurred around 14:15h on Sunday when three men with a submachine gun and two handguns stormed the store.
The suspects robbed the businessman of 21 Xiao Mi cell phones, valued at $1,620,000, along with $500,000, resulting in a total loss of $2,120,000 (Guyana currency).
The gunmen calmly exiting the ‘Shopping 25’ store in Lethem after the robbery
Commander of Regional Police Division Nine, Senior Superintendent Raphael Rose, led a team of detectives and police ranks to the scene. According to initial investigations, the suspects, described as short, medium-built men in dark clothing, arrived at the store on foot. Speaking in Portuguese, they held Gao at gunpoint, demanding money before fleeing westward towards the Lethem Commercial Zone.
In a swift response, Commander Rose and his team pursued the suspects, eventually spotting them walking south near a cluster of bushes near the Guyana-Brazil border. Upon noticing the police vehicle, the suspects reportedly fired several rounds at the officers, striking the police vehicle four times but causing no injuries. The police returned fire, but the suspects managed to evade capture.
Authorities then deployed a Joint-Services patrol team, which tracked the suspects across the border into Brazil. All three were eventually apprehended and remain in Brazilian custody.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
