A rice farmer and his family were left traumatised after bandits on Wednesday carried out a daring robbery in their rice field in Crane, West Coast Demerara.

Rice farmer Ramkissoon Ramnarine and his wife, Indira, recounting the terrifying ordeal of being robbed at gunpoint on Wednesday

The farmer, Ramkissoon Ramnarine; his wife, Indira and their 26-year-old special needs daughter reside in Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara; however, on the morning of the incident, the mother and daughter were resting in hammocks under a makeshift shed when the gunmen attacked.

According to information gathered, the two men pulled up alongside the shed on a motorcycle, got off and approached the trio. One of the men, who was said to be dreadlocked, reportedly pulled out a gun from his waist and ordered the rice farmer and his family not to raise an alarm.

The family told Guyana Times that the man picked up the bags which were under the makeshift shed and ran back to the motorcycle where his accomplice was waiting. The two men then rode away.

“I was ploughing some rice land and one workman was sitting not too far from the camp; one of the persons from de motorbike run under de shed, pull out a gun and he scramble me wife’s three bags and he escape on the bike where a next guy was waiting for him,” the distraught farmer noted.

Ramnarine further told this publication that the bags contained $90,000 in cash, medications for his wife and daughter, cosmetics, as well as his driver’s licence and Identification Card.

The man said this was the third time that he has been robbed. He revealed that it was during their first encounter with bandits in 1995 that his daughter stopped speaking. Ramnarine added that his wife was unwell.

“Meh wife is a sickly person; she had all she medication in one [bag],” the farmer noted. The Police were contacted and have since launched an investigation into the matter.

Crime has drastically increased in the Vreed-en-Hoop area over the last few months, with 20 robberies being recorded in a one-week period. In response, acting Commander of D Division (West Demerara), Leslie James had met with concerned residents and businesspeople and he had committed to providing more Police ranks and patrols in the area.

… to continue lobbying for VAT exemption on security equipment – GCCI

Escalating security woes across the country have triggered a Private Sector-led confab aimed at bringing together stakeholders for a security engagement, even as business leaders question the statistics being released by the Guyana Police Force, which points to a 21 per cent decrease in crime.

GCCI President Vishnu Doerga and GCCI Junior Vice President Nicholas Boyer at the press conference on Wednesday

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCCI) will on Wednesday formally open its inaugural Security Forum and Expo, where, according to GCCI President Vishnu Doerga, an opportunity will be afforded to the several stakeholders to provide security proposals and solutions, including the tackling of cyber threats.

Speaking to the genesis of the security confab, GCCI Junior Vice President Nicholas Boyer, who also chairs the entity’s Security Sub-Committee, spoke of the fact that security provisions now take up a significant portion of a business’ operational expenses.

The seminar, he said, is an activity to demonstrate to companies, those who have solutions to make lives and businesses more secure.

GCCI President Doerga during a media engagement at the entity’s Waterloo Street, Georgetown, office on Thursday, spoke to the fact that security concerns rank high when it comes to potential investors making a decision to do business in Guyana.

He used the occasion to lament that Guyana still ranks as one of the more unattractive places for doing business internationally and security concerns did form a key element of any investment decision.

Doerga said it is for this very reason the GCCI was looking to showcase to its membership what options are available to them with respect to making themselves and the business environment a safer one.

Security apparatus

He disclosed too that it is in this vein that the GCCI will continue to lobby the Administration to place a Value Added Tax (VAT) exemption of security apparatus to serve as an incentive to business people.

Doerga in making the pitch for VAT exemptions on security appliances pointed to the use of efficient Closed Circuit Televisions systems which have recently been aiding the Guyana Police Force more and more in the apprehension of, and prosecution of criminals – many of whom would have committed armed robberies on local businesses.

Meanwhile, on the matter of the recent reportage by the Guyana Police Force that crime was in fact down by 21 per cent, the GCCI representatives questioned the accuracy of this and also pointed to the fact that there is a big difference between released statistics and public perception.

Doerga told media operatives that members of the GCCI only recently met with officials in the public security spectra and the matter of the Police statistics was raised.

The situation, according to Doerga, is compounded by the fact that there is significant under reporting of criminal activities.

He said an objective analysis of the under reporting could not be had at this time since any such would only be a ‘guesstimate.’

Boyer told media operatives that the GCCI was also unaware of the methods used by the Guyana Police Force to compile its statistics, and as such, could not give an informed opinion on its accuracy.

Doerga told media operatives that in many cases, it is possible to be assured and still fearful.

He pointed to members of the business community being presented with statistics pointing to a decrease in crime, only to be confronted with the news in the dailies – documenting incidents such as the recent robbery at a supermarket at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

Doerga said in his meetings with potential investors, among the concerns was the matter of security and the security of their investments.

On the matter of the Police’s response to crime locally, Doerga contended that there has been some positive movement.

“All of us would want this to happen much faster but this is the reality of what we’re dealing with,” said Doerga.

He said the GCCI is heartened by some of the positive movements witnessed, such as action being taken against rogue Police ranks.

Security confab

Meanwhile, on the matter of the active participation of its membership with respect to exploring different security solutions including cyber threats, Doerga told media operatives, “one can only lead a horse to water, we created the event and it’s up to them to take advantage.”

The GCCI’s inaugural Security Forum and Expo will be hosted throughout Friday at the Roraima Duke Lodge in Kingston, Georgetown.

The Chamber is of the view that security concerns continue to rank high as a barrier to investment, and in response to this, it has organised “this important event as a means of empowering business owners to be proactive in safeguarding themselves against criminal threats.”

The Chamber said it recognises the growing need for business owners to gain knowledge on security strategies, and has put together an impressive array of notable speakers, industry experts and security professionals who will deliver information packed presentations on the latest trends.

The Security Forum and Expo is slated to cover both traditional concerns in addition to cyber security.

Following a robbery attempt on a security guard at a city bank, members of a patrol attached to the Professional Guards Service shot a teenage suspect early Friday morning.
According to reports, a female security guard was on duty in the compound of Republic Bank Limited at Waterloo and New Market Streets, Georgetown, around 04:00h when she observed the suspect in the compound in possession of her handbag, which was left on a table.
The guard raised an alarm and the suspect dropped the bag and escaped by scaling the fence. However, the guard alerted her supervisor at the Professional Guard Service office and shortly after a patrol was dispatched.
A young male fitting the description of the suspect was subsequently seen in the area and confronted by the patrol. During the intervening process, a round was discharged from the shotgun that was in possession of one of the patrol members, hitting the suspect to his face and body.
The injured teenager was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent surgery and is recovering under Police guard.

Within hours, Police ranks were able to arrest two suspects after a quantity of cannabis was found in their respective homes during separate searches.

The 13 parcels of cannabis found at the Prashad Nagar house

A 69-year-old businessman of South Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, was arrest late Friday night after Police found over 400 grams of cannabis during a search at his shop located along the Konawaruk River, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Reports reaching Guyana Times indicate that sometime around 23:30h, acting on information received, Police ranks swooped down to the suspect’s business place at Takuba Lodge Backdam, Konawaruk River, where a search was conducted.
During the search, the ranks unearthed 410 grams of the illegal substance.
Meanwhile, Police in A Division (Georgetown) received certain information and went to a house in Prashad Nagar, Greater Georgetown, where they discovered in excess of 52 pounds of compressed cannabis.
A 60-year-old male was arrested after ranks conducted a search at his home and unearthed 13 taped parcels of the illegal substance, which was later weighed and amounted to 24 kilograms.

Armed bandits on Sunday morning attacked and robbed a Corentyne businessman, firing two shots at him. The incident took place at Alness Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).

Jacob Mootoo

According to reports Jacob Mootoo, the proprietor of J Mootoo Grocery Store was awakened when he heard a loud banging and went to investigate. Speaking with this publication Mootoo said after retiring to bed, he got up shortly after it began to rain to lock up the windows when he heard a crashing sound.
He explained: “I hear someone lashing my room window and trying fa lash out the glass and grill so I run downstairs fa’ me cutlass and me wife run somewhere and hide.”
According to Mootoo, after he grabbed his cutlass and was making his way back up to the steps, two gunshots were fired in his direction which stopped him in his tracks. The man immediately ran back down the steps but heard his sister-in-law, who was staying with them at the time, scream for help.
The businessman said he remained downstairs as he heard the men demanding cash. According to sister-in-law Devena, the bandits ransacked the upper flat of the two-flat building. She explained that they tore stuffed animals apart in search of cash.
Moments before Police arrived the two masked men exited the building and made good their escape. An undisclosed sum of cash and two Samsung Galaxy S5 phones were taken.
Police recovered two spent shells and the wood used to break into the building.
No arrests have been made as investigations are ongoing.

A city businessman was late Tuesday afternoon robbed and shot at his office on Croal Street, Georgetown by bandits who seemed to have laying in wait for him outside.

Rameez Mohammed

Guyana Times understands that 29-year-old Rameez Mohammed, whose father owns BM Soat Auto Sales on Croal Street, Georgetown, was approached by bandits, robbed and then shot. The two men, who were on a motorcycle, reportedly took away a bag with an undisclosed sum of cash.
At the business place on Tuesday, the security guard, Granville Gill, told Guyana Times  that he was upstairs standing at the door of the office after Mohammed had descended the stairs.

“We were standing on the landing there closing off and his mother was at the back coming. So I keep the grill open for her to pass out. Same time we hear “BLAM!”, and I just kicked back the grill,” Gill said, as he along with another colleague immediately rushed to see what was happening. They then found Mohammed crouched on the ground, while the two men jumped on the motorcycle and rode away.
The security guard said he could not see the face of the men, since the one who was riding the motorcycle had his face fully covered with a helmet and his accomplice was wearing a cap and turned his face when they rode off.
Mohammed was picked up and rushed to a private hospital in the city. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Investigators in New Amsterdam, Berbice, are trying to ascertain how an eight-year-old girl was shot on Friday afternoon in her leg.
Reports are that the school girl, Sarah Mohair, who lives at the New Amsterdam Technical School compound, was sent by her mother into the yard at about 16:00h to close a bathroom door and on her way a loud explosion was heard and the primary school student started to scream. Divisional Commander Kevin Adonis said currently investigators are trying to determine where the gun would have been fired from and to determine how the child was hit by the apparent stray bullet.
Meanwhile, doctors at the New Amsterdam Hospital were able to remove the bullet from her leg. Up to press time, her condition was listed as stable.
According to Adonis, ballistic tests will be done to determine the type of weapon used.
Residents say there has been a series of loud explosions believed to the sound of fire crackers throughout the day and into the evening.
The use of such explosives have become prevalent but these explosives are illegal in Guyana. (Andrew Carmichael)