Police have arrested a 35-year-old farmer of East Canje, Berbice who Monday night reportedly robbed the Suraj Superbet shop located at Farm, Corentyne, Berbice.
Yogeeta Hemchand, the owner of the property which houses the Superbet, disclosed that around 19:30hrs, she noticed a burgundy car parked obliquely opposite her premises playing music loudly.
Hemchand who also operates her own business on the premises said that at about 20:15hrs, she was selling a customer when she saw several men advancing to the shop.
“…and I said something wasn’t right so I press the electric door to come down.”
The Superbet shop is operated by her nephew, Muneshwar Ramkishun.
The businesswoman said that the door takes some time to close and so she hid behind a post but saw when the men ran into the Superbet, two brandishing handguns.
They reportedly demanded that all the customers lie on the floor and hand over their money and jewellery.
Hemchand said one of the victims had a “fat gold chain” and the robber was having difficulty removing it and she used to opportunity to fully secure herself and began making calls to the police and the neighbours.
The woman claimed that a police outpost, located mere seconds away, was unresponsive. “There was no patrol vehicle to respond and no police responded.”
Hemchand told the News Room she had to call the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam and ranks arrived about 30 minutes later.
At that time, the perpetrators had taken what they could and escaped.
Several pieces of gold jewellery, a quantity of cash and other valuables were stolen from Ramkishun and three customers – Permasawar Persaud, Sookdeo Kedarnauth and Novashkar Sahadeo
