By Navendra Seoraj

THREE gunmen who invaded the Shell Gas Station at Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara at about 03:00hrs on Friday engaged the police in a gunfight, as the lawmen responded promptly to reports of a robbery in progress.When the police arrived on the scene, there was an exchange of gunfire with the bandits, and one bandit who was shot is still at large.

The unlicensed 9mm Glock pistol with 35 matching rounds and twenty-six .32 rounds, which police recovered from a house in the village

Owner of the gas station, Joel Edmond, said two others were subsequently caught and are in police custody.
Edmond told the Guyana Chronicle he was at home at about 03:15hrs when he received a call informing him that bandits had broken into the facility.

According to him, video footage shows three bandits coming through the nearby street and walking into the gas station. One of the bandits stood guard outside while two others broke into the outlet and held the three employees at gunpoint.

“After harassing my staff, they robbed them of what they had, which included around $5,000, and then they got into the cash register and took about $10,000. They then attempted to break our major safe, to no avail,” said Edmond.

The three employees were taken to the police station to assist with the investigation.

The area where the bandits entered the gas station

This is not the first time the gas station has been robbed. According to Edmond, there have been several other robberies, but this has been the most daring of them all.

“I will try to boost my security measures so as to ensure the safety of my employees and my outlet,” he said.

A police release disclosed that at about 02:30hrs on Friday, April 15, three men, all armed with firearms, entered the Shell Fuel Station, held up the security guard and three female employees, and took away a total of $51,000 and a cell phone.

While the robbery was in progress, the police were informed and responded promptly. On arrival at the scene, the ranks came under fire from the perpetrators, and they returned fire.

Police ranks conducted searches in the area, during which, acting on information received, they carried out a search on a house at Mc Doom and found an unlicensed 9mm Glock pistol with 35 matching rounds and twenty-six .32 rounds. Investigations into the matter are continuing.

A view of the shattered glass at the Shell Gas Station at McDoom, in the section where the bandits entered