The manager of a car dealership was pounced on and relieved of over $1 million by bandits during a shootout at Middle and Carmichael Streets, Georgetown.
The businessman, 24-year-old Deepak Balradj of Yokohama Trading, is now left nursing minor injuries and mourning his loss.
The head office of Yokohama Trading in Kingston
According to information reaching the Guyana Times, the incident occurred at around 19:10hrs on Thursday, just as the car dealer and a colleague had left their establishment in Kingston, Georgetown.
While proceeding within the vicinity of the intersection of the two streets, which is a short distance away from the residence of President David Granger, Balradj was intercepted by a sliver Premio which drove in front of him, blocking his path.
Then the bandits existed their vehicle and approached his car.
The gunmen whipped out their weapons and started firing shots at the duo hiding out in the vehicle. Reacting to the threats against his life and that of his passenger, the 24-year-old reversed his car, backing up into the path of an approaching vehicle, resulting in a collision.
After his failed attempt at escaping, the bandits boarded the businessman’s car, and were able to secure the cash which he was transporting at the time.
The gunmen managed to gather a sum in excess of $1.4 million, after which they returned to their vehicle and made good their escape.
Even though both Balradj and his passenger have emerged from the ordeal with their lives following the shootout, the car dealer still sustained minor injuries stemming from the collision with the other car.
Speaking to media operatives shortly after the incident, the driver of the third vehicle, who had witnessed the incident, explained that the businessman had accidentally crashed into his vehicle, and he was made aware of the robbery only after the second round of gunshots were fired.
Meanwhile, this publication on Friday spoke with senior officials from the Criminal Investigation Department, who confirmed that Police are actively retrieving information about the owners of the vehicle which was used to transport bandits in the attack against the Yokohama general manager.
In doing so, the officer relayed, “We are following all leads. We will leave no stone unturned in this particular probe, because there are still a lot of questions to be answered”.
The CID official went on to say that the lawmen are also processing the evidence they retrieved from the scene of the robbery, which saw the two armed suspects discharging several rounds at the GM’s vehicle before grabbing the loot and escaping on foot.
Police are also attempting to secure surveillance footage from nearby businesses and homes as investigations into the matter continues.
This report comes just over a year after a robbery was staged at the head office of Yokohama Trading at Lot 72 ‘B’ Barrack Street, Kingston, during which employees were held at gunpoint as armed bandits carted off approximately $17 million.
