Armed gang
robs Canje family of $10M, jewels
Police
HQ orders probe after Canje robbery
SEVEN
members of a Canada-based family were beaten and robbed by three
bandits yesterday at Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice and Police
Headquarters announced that a full probe is under way into reports
that cops were slow in responding to the attack.
THE
house that was attacked
The
robbers stole Cdn$40,000, diamonds worth Cdn$3,500, G$600,000, seven
Canadian passports, United States green cards and other documents,
victims said.
The
robbery took place about 02:30 h a few hours after the victims saw
three suspicious men walking past their house at 23:30 h Monday and
tried in vain to contact Reliance Police, also in Canje.
One
of the callers said the telephone rang out but remained unanswered
after several attempts at calling cops at Albion, Corentyne and
Central Police Station in New Amsterdam.
The
three thieves broke into the two-flat building and terrorised
occupants in the lower flat before venturing into the upper storey
which housed 22 persons, among them Parbatie Singh and her four
children, her parents, Gopie and Eunice Singh, who all returned to
their homeland on May 10 to renovate the house.
SOME
of the robbery victims after the ordeal
Parbatie
Singh said she was lashed about the body with a gun butt as her
assailants demanded money, forcing her to hand over the cash and
jewels, including those that were being worn by her children.
Her
father, Gopie Singh, also a Canadian citizen, was relieved of
Cdn$10,000 and her mother, Eunice Singh, surrendered Cdn$15,000 and
G$600,000.
The
three masked attackers concentrated on the three visiting adults
while five accomplices kept watch in the yard and the bottom flat.
Upstairs
was ransacked as the marauders searched for more valuables and Inez
Baijnauth, who lives in the building, too, said the visitors’
suitcases were also carted off.
The
Singhs voiced their disappointment at the response of the Police who
arrived after the ordeal that continued through dawn.
Ranks
from Reliance station eventually visited the scene.
In
a release last night, Police Headquarters said the Police Force
“wishes to express its concern over this incident in the light of
the reported poor response by Police ranks.”
“As
a consequence, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Office of
Professional Responsibility(OPR) has been tasked to investigate and
report in relation to Police action taken prior to and after the
robbery”, the release said.
(JEUNE BAILEY VAN-KERIC)
Wednesday,
May 17, 2006
