THE invasion of 10 armed bandits forced two women, including a 65-year-old grandmother to scale six-foot fences in a bid to escape the robbery attack at Seventh Street, John’s Settlement in Port Mourant, Corentyne.Just after 01:00 hr on Wednesday morning, Dara Singh, aged 38 years, was offloading several items, including two tractors from a container.

He had engaged the services of several persons from the neighbourhood, to assist with the task. They had just completed the offloading when his overseas-based brother-in-law along with his wife, left the premises seconds before bandits struck.

After they drove away in the car, six men ran into the yard, saying: “No body move.”
“Me run under the tractor and hide. One of the other bandits say, look the owner gone and hide under the tractor. They started to beat me under the tractor, before dragging me into the kitchen where they told me to kneel. They asked for the money and the gold. Me say you all nah do me nothing. This is all I have in my pocket…$700,060…the container money.”
But Singh noted that the men, some armed with shotguns and a pistol, cutlasses, and iron were dissatisfied with the amount, and demanded more money and jewellery.
The intruders reportedly asked for Singh’s overseas-based guest, who had moments before left the home.
Singh recalled being taken to his bedroom before he was returned to the kitchen where he was constantly “broadsided” with cutlasses.

According to him, his helpers along with members of his family, which amounted to 12 persons, were all held against their will for almost 45 minutes, as an additional four men kept watch from the outside.

Meanwhile, Shavraj Azaz had just finished helping out when the bandits rushed into the yard. He was told to lie before a bandit armed with an iron rod inflicted several injuries to his head, forcing him to comply.
Kamalie Devi Khalicharan saw the bandits entering their yard, and being fearful, she did what was a normally impossible task. She scaled two separate six-foot fences, before seeking refuge in a neighbour’s home, two streets away. Her mother-in-law Dolarie Sewghair, was not to be left behind although her son Dar’s life was in danger. She,

too, scaled the fence before running for safety.
However, Sabita Singh could not join the two elderly women in their hurdle jumps. Instead, she stayed behind and was gun-butted to her face. She is six months pregnant.

After the bandits had left and the family re-grouped, they discovered missing an additional US$600, a rip saw, two amplifiers, two gold chains and four finger-rings, among other items.
Two youth are in custody and are assisting the police with the investigation.

By Jeune Bailey Vankeric