Two armed bandits have carted off with close to $500,000 worth in jewellery belonging to a dead woman. The incident took place at Third Street Edinburgh, East Bank Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Reports are that at about 20:30h on Monday, two bandits, one armed with a firearm, attacked and robbed Shameer Rajab, an Imam of a nearby mosque.
According to Rajab, he and Joseph Kewley – a tailor who lives with him, were together in the tailor shop after it was closed. Some time after it was closed, a stranger entered the yard enquiring about the cost to make shirts and other outfits.
Rajab said he invited the man in so could he could discuss business in the comfort of the tailor shop and opened the door for him.
As he took his seat, Rajab said he heard a gun being cranked and turned around and saw a small firearm in the man’s hand.
“He is a lefthander, he took the gun and put it to my head and said to go inside with him and not to make any sound.”
According to Rajab, as he and Kewley were being taken into the house, he saw a second intruder going in to the tailor shop and also accompanied them into the house.
“We didn’t see the other fellow before. The one with the gun was wearing a mask, so I can’t really make him out but I know he is tall and the other one was a bit short and squatty.”
Rajab said the men demanded money and he handed them $70,000 and explained that it was only earlier this month that he had to bury his wife and the month before, a sister-in-law all who lived there.
“I have a writing desk in the room there and he asked me what is in there and I told him it is papers. He said ‘open it, open it’. So, I got the key. One of the drawers had papers and the other one had jewellery – a good set of jewellery about $400,000 to $500,000 in jewellery. It was my wife’s jewellery and a couple of pieces for me also. They took it quickly and no noise.”
As the men were leaving, they locked both Rajab and Kewley in the building and quickly exited.
“So, we didn’t even get to see which direction they went to,” Rajab recounted. Police have since launched an investigation.
