West Dem jeweller robbed of $4m by gunman

A West Coast Demerara (WCD) jeweller was yesterday afternoon robbed at gun point of over $4 million in jewellery and $135,000 in cash while at his business establishment, which is located in the Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo market.

The man, Rajendra Harrinarine, recounted the ordeal to Stabroek News even as he bemoaned the sloth of the police at the station there. “About after 1(pm) one man come and was looking in the case…he asked me the price fuh a ring and me tell he $12,000 and next thing I see he pull a gun over the case and tell me don’t move or no noise or he guh shoot meh,” the jeweller said.

“He then come round and me ain’t say a word and he start put the jewels in a haversack that he had. Two other man was with he but I didn’t know. He search up meh uncle who was selling banana and take away wuh lil money he had too. He was so shake up...they then walk off so calm,” he added.

The man said that so traumatized was his uncle that he could not help him raise an alarm after the men left as his voice “was gone” and it was a little girl in a nearby store who ran to their aid and shouted for help.

All the while, he said, other persons began calling the police on their phones and got no answer until after a long time. They waited for the police again for at least another hour, and when they did not come, he said that his nephew had to come for him to take him to the police station.

When they got there, Harrinarine pointed out that they were told that the police went to another location. “Dem seh dem aint know the direction too good so that is why they couldn’t find the place,” he said.

To add to the already distraught businessman’s woes, the police did not dust the scene for fingerprints but took photographs from a nearby surveillance camera which captured footage of the men leaving the scene and entering a white car.

He said that he was told to return to the station at 8am today for a follow up on the matter.

The man informed that he had been operating out of the business establishment for over one year.

Police Commander Leslie James last night confirmed the robbery report and told this newspaper that the police are in pursuit of the robbers and an active investigation is underway.

James said that the stall holder, Harrinarine told police that two men went to his stall and placed a gun to his head and robbed him of his cash and jewellery.

He said that police in ‘D’ Division are investigating the robbery and updates will be given as progress is made with the investigation.