Bandits cart off $1.4M, CCTV equipment from Chinese supermarket

Four masked men, three of whom were armed with handguns, invaded the Egou Chinese Supermarket on the Melanie Public Road, East Coast Demerara on Tuesday night and carted of $1.4M, one Samsung S8 cellphone, a quantity of Digicel phone cards and a DVR with CCTV footage of the robbery.

The men also shot the owner of the supermarket, 48-year-old Chinese national Zhi Shan Lim, and relieved the security guard on duty of his handgun.

Police Headquarters revealed the incident occurred at about 19:30h Tuesday.

Zhi Shan reported that he was inside the supermarket with five other Chinese nationals when one of the suspects entered and purchased two Guinness. The suspect then went outside and called out to the other three suspects.

One of the suspects then proceeded to corner the security guard on duty – Leon Alves, 21, who is attached to Sheriff Security – and managed to take away a 12- gauge single barrel shot gun with five live rounds.

The suspects then held Zhi Shan and the others at gunpoint. The bandits then dealt Zhi Shan a lash to the left side head and shot him to the left foot.

They then removed the cash and other items and escaped through a southern door.

Ranks conducting investigations on the ground found that the suspects further confronted a 23-year-old University of Guyana student while in his car and shot at him. The student managed to escape and drove to the Vigilance Police Station.

Zhi Shan was taken to a private hospital in the city where he is receiving treatment.

The security guard was subsequently arrested.

Investigations are ongoing.