Burglars target Essequibo business

An Essequibo businessman is taking matter into his own hands by hiring armed guards after thieves broke into his variety store on Sunday morning.

This is the fourth time this year that Shawn’s Minimart located on the Anna Regina public road has been broken into and robbed.  The 38-year-old business owner, Hemant Takaram was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash.

He told the News Room that he was at his Cotton Field Essequibo Coast home preparing to go to the cricket match at Providence, East Bank Demerara when he received a call that his variety store was broken into.

Surveillance footage from the store shows a man taking the money from the cash register inside the store. The man is seen wearing short pants and a hoodie with a backpack.

The owner believes that more persons were involved.

“My friend call me and tell me that a thief man went in the building, so I come to check my building. When I open my building, I see money gone from the cash register and we checked the building and see that they come in from the third flat, they take off the glass window and come in.”

“I only know about cash because how the business stay, I can’t know cause I sell all kind thing, cosmetics, electrical, footwear, clothing…it’s a variety store,” the businessman said.

The businessman has since refused to file a Police report on the grounds that the three previous robberies were not solved. He also alleged that policemen kept asking him for money whenever they see him or visit his store.

“The first time I make a report at the station, they [Police Officers] came and take fingerprints and then when them see you on the road, they want a raise, when they come at the store…they want a raise…so I don’t go at the station anymore, I done with them things…it don’t make sense going and make a report.”

At the weekend, another store and a Chinese restaurant were also robbed on the Essequibo Coast.