Proprietor of the Sanjay’s Jewellery was reportedly robbed of millions in cash, silver, gold and diamond when gunmen stormed his sheriff street business place and home at the weekend.
During an interview with News Room on Monday, Bishnarine Persaud also known as Sanjay said that the incident took place juts after he arrived back home on Saturday evening.
He related that he was out with some friends and upon returning to his premises, “while opening my gate, somebody jam (touched) me on ma right hand side and say’ this is a stick up’, when I go to look up, I see an umbrella. I continue to open the gate, I had my phone in my hand and I just pelt the phone and padlock down. As I come in, one mo of them there with me, they asked ‘where is my weapon?; I say ‘it’s in my safe locked up’. They asked about the key for the store, I tell them ‘it deh upstairs’ and I proceed to get that”.
According to Persaud, the men took him into the building and led him to the living quarters of his property where they demanded that he hand over his keys to the vault. He complied and the men then preceded tie him up and cart off the valuables and cash.
“Well one of my hand is break so they had to strap me in front” he said. Asked to describe the perpetrators, he told News Room that “They had an umbrella and hats very low and had on dark clothes. I can’t even look at them because they had the gun to my head. I had to focus on what I’m doing, can’t look right or look left”.
The News Room was told that the men seemingly being fully aware that the entire building is covered by surveillance cameras requested that the businessman hand over the storage devices that hold the recordings, something he said that he complied with to remain alive.
“They asked me where my DVR and whatever is, and i showed them, then I come down and I open my store and there was two more of them, heavily armed. They told me if I don’t cooperate with them, they will kill me. I proceed to come and open the vault and they start to take out” Persaud related.
The Businessman sought to dispel reports which suggested that he contacted the police while tied up or may have setup the robbery at his own business place.
“About ten minutes after, I ain’t hear no mo sound in the store. I get up and start to creeping and move in the store to get to the phone and start using the phone on the speaker so I can call 911. I was calling 911 and nobody ain’t answer so I call 912 and there I got an answer on the first call, then I remember couple people numbers off my head and I make calls, then the police come and relatives came in” the businessman said.
Asked about insurance coverage for the items taken, the businessman said that the insurance will not cover for all the items taken from the store due to the policy he has taken out.
It was also during the conclusion of our interview that officers from the insurance company showed up at the business place to speak with the businessman.
His business place was robbed some fifteen years ago. Sanjay explained that thus far he is receiving the full cooperation of the Guyana Police Force and its investigators.