By Isanella Patoir
A Swan Street, Pouderoyen, West Coast Demerara family remains traumatised after three masked men, armed with a handgun, a knife and a cutlass, invaded their home on Monday last.
Akat Ally, 53, a businessman, along with his two elderly parents, were robbed of $1.4M in cash and a cellphone. Ally owns and operates a variety shop while his parents are pensioners.
“They came in and one had a gun, one had a knife and one had a cutlass and when they gained entry, they asked for money and gold and they took my cellphone. Some of the money was mine and some was my mom and dad cause they usually collect pension,” Ally told the News Room.
Ally explained that about 20:30h on Monday, the men gained entry through one of the top windows of the house. The family’s security cameras managed to capture one of the suspects breaking into the house through the window.
The cameras also captured when Ally’s older brother, who was sitting by the gate at the front of the house, was dragged inside.
“My brother was outside sitting down by the gate and one of the guy rushed at him and pulled him and dragged him into the home. I was in the shop and my mom and dad was in the kitchen….he was the only one outside, so they had to get him in the home so nobody would make any noise and say anything.
“Everybody is okay but we are traumatised and a little shaky,” Ally said.
Once inside, the bandits threatened to harm the family if they did not hand over the cash; they then proceeded to ransack the house.
“The one with the knife said if they don’t get what they want, he gonna take it [knife] and slit my mother throat and with all these threats, you gotta comply cause you don’t know what can happen,” the businessman told the News Room.
When contacted, Regional Commander, Superintendent Errol Watts said ranks are out canvasing the area for more CCTV footage as the investigation continues.
This is the second time that bandits invaded Ally’s house; three bandits robbed the household in August 2019 and carted off with about $400,000 in jewelry and cellphones. No one was arrested or charged for the first robbery.
