AN OVERSEAS based sexagenarian couple, Thakurdyal and Dropattie Ramphal have thanked God for being alive after being robbed of cash and jewellery by two armed bandits.
They suffered a total loss of $2.2M, at their local residence, Lot 62 Section ‘B’, Number 60 Village, Corentyne, Berbice on Wednesday.
Police investigating the crime have since detained two suspects.
The Ramphals, who reside in the United States (U.S.), were on a one week visit to attend the funeral of a close relative and had only been in the country for a few days when they were forced to endure a 20 minutes ordeal, which made them vow not to return to the land of their birth.
The husband and wife, aged 62 and 60 years, respectively, were dwelling at their Guyana home during the day and sleeping at a friend living four house lots away.
They were about to leave their home, shortly after 18:30h, when confronted by the bandits, one with a small gun and the other a cutlass. One wore a yellow cap with a white handkerchief covering his mouth and nose but the other was unmasked.
The gunman ordered Thakurdyal to lie on the ground and his accomplice confronted Dropattie. The cutlass wielder stamped the male victim in his back before relieving him of gold and diamond finger rings valued G$400,000, US$400 and G$15,000, as well as important documents including credit cards.
Dropattie was relieved of gold and diamond jewels, worth G$1.8M, that she was wearing. Then the attackers took the couple a short distance from their home into a clump of bushes and made them lie face down, demanding an additional G$2M and threatening harm if their demand was not met.
However, the gunman was urged by his companion to spare the couple, prior to them escaping on foot in the dark.