Gunmen attack, rob Blairmont businessman and family

Armed bandits on Monday evening attacked the proprietors of a general store at Blairmont, West Bank Berbice in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and carted off millions in cash and jewellery.
The incident occurred at about 19:20h on Monday as Nadir Hussain was about to close his business for the day at Number Four Settlement, Blairmont, West Coast Berbice.
Hussain, who also works at GuySuCo, Blairmont Estate Factory, said he was about to close the gate to the premises when he was pounced upon by five armed men.
According to the businessman all of the intruders were masked and one of them chocked him and dragged him back into the shop.
His wife, Raywattie Persaud, who was also in the yard at the time was targeted by another bandit, who pulled her into the shop as well.
“They point the gun at me and lock off my neck and told me not to holler but I still holler,” Persaud revealed.

According to Hussain, during the robbery, him and his wife were held in the shop at gunpoint where he was gun butted.
“He choke me and I was short of breath and the rest of them proceeded to ransack all of the drawers, shelves and the bags that were hanging; it was plenty cash but all was not one place. The phone cards money, gas money, the shop money all does be separate but within close range…They used the backdoor to get into the kitchen and ransacked the chester drawer, go till upstairs in the wardrobe and carry away all the valuables like cash and jewellery,” the businessman said.

Meanwhile, a neighbour whose dog ran out of the gate as he was returning home, ran towards the shop to get his pet, but was confronted by one of the armed bandits, who was standing guard at the gate. He was told to go and sit and was relieved of his cellular phone.
Additionally, a customer, who was approaching the shop, realised what was happening tried to turn away but it was too late for him also.
According to Mohammed Laikraj the man pointed the gun at him and walked up to him and pulled off a gold chain he was wearing at the time.
The said the chain is worth $70,000.
“I told him not to do me anything and I will give him everything I have. I took out my cell phone and gave him and told him that I don’t have money was just coming to buy an energy drink.”
He said the bandit demanded his wallet and he handed it over.
“When he open it and see that it was only $300 in it he handed it back to me,” the man recalled. Laikraj was made to sit in the yard in front of the shop.
The bandits reportedly carted off $3M, an undisclosed amount of phone cards and about $4M worth of jewellery.
Hussain said the perpetrators spent about 15 minutes before leaving.
In the course of the robbery, another customer who went into the premises was dragged into the shop. Hussain said he begged the intruders not to harm that customer, who is considered as a person living with a disability.
The men left through the front gate and went in the direction of the seashore in Ithaca.
Hussain said when he called the police, he was told that the patrol was attending to another robbery at Shieldstown, which is two villages away.
When the police eventually arrived, searches were made for the suspects in surrounding area with assistance from Region Six Marine Patrol, but the suspects were not found. Investigations are ongoing. (G4)