Giftland Mall employs armed security guards

GTT store robbery

Following a daring armed robbery at the Giftland Mall on Monday night, management has announced that armed guards will now be stationed at all entrances of the facility.
In a statement, Giftland Mall’s Proprietor Roy Beepat said: “we wish to assure the public that we are aware of their security concerns, which are our security concerns. As such we have further strengthened the mall with armed guards at our entrances effective immediately”.
On Monday evening, the two bandits robbed the Guyana Telephone Telegraph (GTT) store on the ground floor of the Giftland Mall, Plantation Pattensen, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.
According to CCTV footage seen by this publication, the two perpetrators casually entered the mall and pounced on the sales clerk at the kiosk.
At the time, several customers were in a queue; they quickly scattered when one of the bandits pulled out a gun.
After the robbery, the men ran out of the mall. The incident occurred at around 21:00h and the entire ordeal lasted just a few minutes.
On Tuesday, one of the thieves was nabbed by Police during a shootout on D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown.
The other suspect managed to escape.
According to Commander of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Sub-division A (Georgetown), Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas, the police used social media to track down the two bandits. Police went to the location on D’Urban Street but upon spotting the police, one of the men discharged a round in their direction.
Police retaliated by returning fire but one of the men escaped through a yard and onto Princes Street, then into the Le Repentir Cemetery. During the exchange of gunfire between the police and the bandits, a parked car was damaged.
Meanwhile, the Giftland Mall has commended the police on its operation.