Bandits wreak havoc on Corentyne: several homes burglarised

…overseas-based Guyanese targeted

Bandits burglarised several homes on the Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corenrtyne) on Sunday evening, targeting homes of overseas-based Guyanese and carted off millions of dollars’ worth in articles. However, the burglary spree started days before.

Three of the houses were broken into on Sunday night at Number 57 Village, Berbice.
Roopnarine Hairlall lives in the United States (US) but visits Guyana annually. On Sunday evening thieves broke into his Lot 11 Section B Number 57 Village home. From all indications, the bandits entered from the back gate and then broke open the lock to the backdoor.
His brother, Gobin Harbhajan, lives opposite the house and said that there is a caretaker who turns on the lights in the evening and takes them off in the morning.
“When he came this morning (Monday) he saw the back door opened and he called me,” he told this publication.
Among the items removed from the home were a microwave oven, a TV, cutlery, a water pump, clothing and other household items.
“They ransacked his bedroom; I don’t know what they were looking for. He had a lot of things but I can’t say what and what is missing now.”
The matter is under Police investigation. Several persons have been arrested.
Meanwhile, also on Sunday night, a lone bandit broke into a storeroom at Lot 80 B Number 57 Village. The building is owned by Nankumar Ramdial, who lives in the US.
He was last home late last year and visits Guyana twice annually.
According to the caretaker, someone went into the storeroom on Saturday night and fixed the lock after leaving, giving the impression that he will return. Having observed this, two persons were on the lookout on Sunday and saw when the thief returned. They then ran and closed the door, believing that the thief was inside and contacted the police. However, when the police arrived, they then realised that the man had escaped before they closed the door. More than $700,000 worth in tools were stolen. Police have since been able to retrieve several items from a house in the village.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday last bandits broke into the home of Bridgenauth Nankumar and stole items worth in excess of $300,000.
He too lives overseas and left home last month. Among the items stolen are a water pump and a pressure pump.
Entry to the building was made by wrenching out the grill to one of the windows at the side of the house and entering a bedroom.
The lock to a bedroom door was also broken open and the room ransacked. On Saturday Rita Khan called “Salita” was not at home when bandits broke into her home. According to the woman, who lives alone, the discovery was made when she returned home on Saturday afternoon.
“Saturday, I come about 02:30. When I come I see the grill break, the table model gas stove outside and when I open the door and go inside, I see the gas bottle and one set of things on the table.”
She said the house was ransacked and foodstuff was missing.
“They carry away a TV, two expensive cameras, a blender and all my ration and they pick out the best fish from the freezer and carry away,” the woman explained.
However, she was able to identify some of the items stolen from her home at the Number 51 Police Station on Monday.
“They have a bottle with sour, a container with sugar, a bottle of coffee, a face wash… I know my salt bottle from the pink cover and the aji, I full it in a half-pound nut butter container and I see them at the station,” the woman explained.
The police are continuing their investigations.