– farmer arrested, questioned in connection with robbery
Three armed men executed a daring robbery on a Superbet outlet at Farm, Corentyne, Berbice on Monday evening.
Owner of the business, Deochand Hemchand
The incident reportedly took place about 20:15h at the business place owned by Deochand Hemchand, also called “Suraj”.
Police stated that on the day in question, three men who were armed with a small handgun and a hammer held up and robbed Muneshwar Ramkishun, 33, the operator of the outlet of a gold chain and the day’s sales which amounted to $290,000.
Superbet operator Muneshwar Ramkishun
After robbing the outlet, the armed men proceeded to rob Permasawar Persaud, 30, of New Street, Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, of $45,000 in cash; Sookdeo Kedarnauth, 33, of Number 19 Village, Corentyne of his gold chain and Novashkar Sahadeo, 27, of Susannah Village, East Canje of his wallet containing US$200 and important documents.
Owner’s wife, Baby Hemchand
Sahadeo, Kedarnauth, Persaud, and Shawn Gobin were at the time in close proximity to the Superbet outlet consuming alcohol when the suspects held them at gunpoint and relieved them of the aforementioned articles.
During the robbery, Sahadeo was injured after he was dealt one lash to his forehead with the gun by one of the suspects. The suspects, after committing the robbery, made good their escape on foot into the backlands.
Sahadeo was subsequently taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he was treated and sent away.
One of the computers that were damaged by the bandits
Speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday, Ramkishun recalled what took place.
“Dem man start robbing everybody from the front coming straight to the back. They lash one man with a hammer and bus his head. He kick one of them in the head, about 10 kicks. Then he come to me and where the Superbet is they get Perspex and they knock it and tell me to open the door,” Ramkishun related.
He added that one of the bandits shattered the Perspex and then strategically placed the gun through the hole and demanded he open the door.
“I open the door and the man come in and he go to hit me with the hammer and I tell him just go in and collect the money. After he collect the money, he lash the computer screen with the hammer and then he left. Then (they) hit one of dem boys with a gun and then they run out,” he said.
There are reports that other customers were also robbed, including one who had a ring bitten off of his finger.
The owner’s wife, Baby Hemchand recalled that after realising what was happening, she immediately took evasive action.
The business owned by the Hemchands
According to her, she quickly pressed the button for the shutters to close.
“I can’t say what they looked like, but to me something was not right – what they run like that, and by we went through the robbery already, I get sacred. I just came out in front and press the door to come down. While the door was coming down, I saw them run in the yard and run to the Superbet and they told everybody to lie down and don’t say anything. One of them run at the boy in front and grab his chain and then he looked at me, but the same time the door was coming down so he couldn’t get me,” she revealed.
The traumatised woman added that her husband has applied for a firearm licence several times, but has turned down.
“We have a liquor restaurant here; we have a grocery shop that operates every single day and every single day people coming from all over – people coming from Skeldon, New Amsterdam, Canje… My husband put in three times for a firearm and they are telling him nothing; they are pushing him around. These fellows come from nowhere and they have guns in their hands and we are doing all of this and we can’t get one,” she added.
Further, one of the victims told this publication they had several calls to the Luis Mamer Police Outpost, which is a stone’s throw away, but were told that there was no patrol at the time.
The owner of the business believes that he is being targeted, as this is the fourth time since 2019 bandits have carried out a robbery at his premises.
“It is very bad to know that people keep coming and robbing we. I can’t understand why. We are not rich; we just have a small business. We have an IMPACT Police base over there and the only thing they could solve is domestic problems; they do not have a vehicle there and they do not have people with guns there. Any time you call on them in an emergency, they cannot respond to you,” the businessman said.
In May 2011, Hemchand had a piece of his ear chopped off by bandits who also beat him with a cutlass resulting in his hospitalisation.
Meanwhile, the Police have confirmed that one farmer was arrested and is being questioned in connection with the robbery as investigations continue. (Andrew Carmichael)
