Masked gunmen attack auto-dealer staff at Diamond

Four masked gunmen this morning allegedly traced employees of an Automobile dealership from a commercial bank to the entity’s Little Diamond, East Bank of Demerara location before robbing them of their valuables.

Vice President (Operations), of the dealership and retailer of new Hyundai vehicles, Ideal Autos Inc. Jailall Ragnauth told the media that the men may have thought the staff went to withdraw cash.

“There was no money transaction, just the paperwork transaction and they came back, and they were awaiting the security to come in and a silver car came up with four guys, I was told they had guns. They stuck up the driver and staff, took away the girl’s purse and they went away with it. That’s basically it,” he related.

The Security Guard, who did not want his identity to be revealed, ran away when he saw the gunmen.

He said he was about to open the gate when he saw the silver-grey car with three men, all armed with guns standing beside the car with an HC number plate.

Visibly shaken by the ordeal, the security guard said the men proceeded to rob the staff in the vehicle but admitted that after seeing the armed men, he fled the scene.

“I had to run because is three of them with guns out there,” he said.

The handbag belonging to a female staff was stolen along with the cell phone belonging to the driver.

While no shots were fired, it is alleged that the driver was cuffed to the face.

The media was told that the police were prompt in their response to the scene but the staff are fearful for their lives.

“The incident will drive fear in we, and in staff and the whole organization because this kinda thing is too sudden and it shocking. We operate a business here, we don’t do any large transactions on the location because we know of the high-risk environment,” the Vice President told reporters.

Asked whether management will look to increase its security, he pointed out that as a small operation, there are not sufficient funds to keep investing in security.

“And the more security you put, the more empowered the people (bandits) will be.”