A 58-year-old shop-owner, Kamaldeo of Number 46 Village, Corentyne, East Berbice explained to this publication that he and his wife, 57, were robbed by two bandits, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife.
The robbery occurred on Thursday at about 13:30hrs when two men, one wearing a mask, entered and told couple not to move. “They take a knife and hold it at me and tape me up. They tie up me hand and foot and wrap it [tape] around me head, and cover my mouth with tape so I can’t talk,” Kamaldeo said, adding that his wife was also tied up.
The bandits then demanded money and jewellery.
According to Kamaldeo, one of the bandits sat on him and told him to remain still, while the other one searched the place and asked his wife for valuables. They were directed to a box which contained money from sales, which amounted to $33,000.
His wife also handed over two finger rings she was hearing at the time. “And ah send them upstairs to a box on the wardrobe in the bedroom that had $10,000 and ah tell them that is all I get…so they get about $43,000.”
He said he and his wife told the men to take cigarettes, phone cards and anything else that they wanted as the couple pleaded for their lives. The men opted to take a quantity of phone cards which amounted to $22,000.
Kamaldeo said the men were not satisfied with the quantity of gold jewellery they got. “They say that we is Indians so we suppose to have more gold. Me wife tell them that she had some bangles but she take it and melt it and give them children,” the man said.
With the couple still duct-taped lying on the floor, the bandits asked whether they lived alone. “When we tell them yes, them say we got to give dem more gold or we gon dead…they start cuss up,” he related.
This publication understands that the bandits left after a small boy ventured into the shop. It was the boy who was able to offer help by removing the duct tape.
Police have since visited the scene and are investigating.
