Police smash major crime gang
– Wanted men found in Berbice hotel with teen girls
Police in Berbice have arrested six persons in a hotel including three wanted men and three teenage girls, in what can be described as the smashing of a major crime ring. The arrests followed two recent high profile robberies that occurred in New Amsterdam. Two of the men are wanted for a robbery last Saturday morning while another is wanted for a heist at the N/A market last Thursday. On Monday evening after making certain observations and gathering valuable information the cops swooped down on a popular hotel in New Amsterdam. The known characters, including a deportee, were found inside the hotel along with three teenage girls. The girls aged 16, 17 and 19 years were found in separate rooms with the men. On Thursday last, around 08:30 hrs, a lone gunman described as a ‘red skin man’ wearing a red shirt and black pants had robbed the popular Hack’s Variety Stall of approximately $2M. He fired a shot before escaping out of the market and joined an accomplice on a motorcycle and fled the scene. A number of persons were arrested and subsequently released as the police investigation gathered momentum. Meanwhile, on Saturday morning around 01:20 hrs, three bandits armed with guns and cutlasses invaded the home of 38-year-old businessman Nicholas Harrinandan, owner of JN Supermarket, and his wife, Uwattie Harrinandan, a teacher, at Lot 22/23 Nurseville Housing Scheme, Tucber Park, New Amsterdam. . During the home invasion, the bandits dealt Harrinandan several chops about his head and face. The victim in return armed himself with a chopper and dealt 26-year-old Brian Dhanphat – a known character of Smythfield, New Amsterdam, Berbice – chop wounds to his head, face, hand and foot. The bandit who got trapped behind a wall divider fell to the ground screaming for help. Dhanphat who was arrested in the businessman’s house was taken to the New Amsterdam hospital for emergency treatment. At the hospital he stated that his two cohorts were Kevin Sandy and Troyden Trellis. He had also told those present that he was kidnapped and taken to rob the business premises. Dhanphat was discharged from the New Amsterdam Hospital on Tuesday. Realizing that his first set of “tunes” were not gelling, the career bandit changed his tune, and began singing that he was in the businessman’s house because of a drug deal which did not work out when he was caught in the fracas. The other man found in the hotel, fits the description of the man who robbed the stall in the New Amsterdam market. A motor cycle used by the men was also seized. It was found at an abandoned gas station opposite the hotel. According to a source, the capture of the men represents a significant headway into the smashing of a major criminal gang that was creating havoc in and around New Amsterdam, Corentyne and West Berbice. The men are suspected to be involved in the A. Ally and Sons robbery which occurred on July 14, where over $3.7M and US$2300 was taken as the business entity was about to deposit the money in a bank in New Amsterdam. The men are also suspected to be associated with the discharging of a loaded firearm outside of a New Amsterdam night club recently.