Woman among 3 charged over Rose Hall armed robberies

A 34-year-old woman is among three persons remanded to prison after they were jointly charged with robbery under arms in connection with the armed robbery of a Rose Hall Town supermarket during which $1.5-million in cash was stolen. Steve Anthony Tsoi, called “Timmy”, 21, a construction worker of Alness Village, Corentyne; Samantha Thomas, 34, unemployed of Bangladesh, Port Mourant, Corentyne; and Sherlon McBean Jr, called “Red Man”, 20, a construction worker of Number 9 Village, Corentyne were jointly charged. The trio appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where the indictable charge was read to them. They were not required to plead, were remanded to prison and the matter was adjourned to March 31.
It is alleged that on February 28 while armed with firearms, they robbed Rose Hall Town businessman Gurudat Sudhai of $1.5-million in cash. The matter has been transferred to the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

AK-47 rifle charge
Meanwhile, Tsoi also appeared before Magistrate Tamieka Clarke Hardy at the Whim Magistrate’s Court earlier on Monday, where he was charged with possession of firearms and ammunition without a licence. Police allege that on March 3 at Ulverston Village, Corentyne, he had in his possession an AK-47 rifle and a 9mm pistol, along with four rounds of 9mm ammunition and seventeen rounds of 7.62 ammunition, without being the holder of a firearm licence. The charge was read to him and he pleaded not guilty. However, bail was refused and the matter was adjourned to March 13. Tsoi had earlier appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias at the Albion Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where he was charged with two counts of robbery under arms committed on Stephen Ramsingh and Petal Sabsoop.

Police allege that during the incident, Ramsingh was robbed of $25,000, while Sabsoop was robbed of a motorcar. Tsoi pleaded not guilty to those charges and was granted $100,000 bail on each offence. The matter was adjourned to March 20. The charges stem from two armed robberies carried out in Rose Hall Town within days of each other, during which gunmen targeted businesses in the area. In one incident, bandits struck Shanie Liquor and Grocery Store, where members of the Ramsingh family were robbed, while in another attack armed men stormed the G. Sudhai and Sons supermarket, escaping with $1.5-million in cash. Police had earlier reported that the firearm and ammunition were discovered during an operation conducted on March 3 at Ulverston Village, Corentyne, after ranks received information in relation to the recent robberies in Rose Hall Town. During that exercise, a cutlass sack was reportedly found in a tamarind tree on an empty plot of land, inside which were a 9mm pistol with four matching rounds, an AK-47 rifle with seventeen matching 7.62 rounds, and a pair of gloves.