Police in Region Two have arrested two young men hours after they robbed an Essequibo Coast businessman of millions of dollars in cash and phone cards.
It was reported that about 11:00h on Saturday, the 55-year-old businessman was about to open his business place at Charity Water Front, Essequibo Coast, when the two suspects who were armed with a cutlass and knife pushed the door and went in.
The one with the knife held the victim up and placed the weapon to his throat. The other suspect attacked the victim’s 57-year-old wife and covered her mouth after which they taped both of their hands and feet with duct tape.
Together, the suspects searched the premises and collected a quantity of Digicel and GTT phone cards valued just over $1.1M and $4,822,641 cash, after which they began to make good their escape.
At this point, however, the businessman managed to free himself and ran behind the suspects and he managed to chop one but received a chop to his head from the other suspect before they made good their escape.
The businessman was escorted to the Charity Public Hospital where he was admitted and later transferred to Suddie Hospital in a stable condition.
Police, with assistance from public-spirited citizens, including some members of the Charity CPG Group, cordoned off the area between New Road and Dartmouth backlands where the two suspects fled and a manhunt lasting some five hours led to the suspects being apprehended and taken to the Charity Police Station.
All the cash and items were recovered.
Both suspects, ages 21 and 25, are in custody, and charges are expected to be laid shortly.
