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TWO United States-based Guyanese women who returned here and went to different homes in the city Sunday morning had the most unfortunate welcome in their homeland when they were robbed at gunpoint. The two women are unfamiliar with each other but travelled on the same Caribbean Airlines flight from the US and were both robbed before they could offload their luggage at two different locations in Georgetown.
Brooklyn-based Binka Charles who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle said that she arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on a Caribbean Airlines flight which had been delayed.
The woman said that her fiancé and his friend who is unknown to her were the two persons who received her at the airport. She said that as she arrived at her lot 8 Perry Street, Tucville home and was about to exit the car she noticed three men approaching the vehicle.
According to the shaken woman the men were armed with a cutlass, a knife and a handgun. She said that the man with the gun trained it on her fiancé who is very muscular while the one with the knife kept her confined to one location in the yard.
Charles said that the men then began beating her fiancé after relieving her of her handbag containing all the necessary documents she had on her person, including her passport, driver’s licence and hundreds of US dollars.
The US citizen said that as the men continued their assault on her boyfriend, they kept asking her where the rest of the money was and appeared intent on doing more severe harm to the man if more money was not produced.
During the entire ordeal, the woman explained that the other man who came to the airport with her fiancé was not harmed and he just sat in a corner of the yard. At one point the men took the car keys and attempted to open the door to the home which they had not yet entered.
Charles said that the house was full of foreigners who had travelled to Guyana for a funeral and were locked in the house. However, she said that as fate would have it, no one in the house was aware of what was happening outside and they all seemed to have been asleep.
When the men realized that there was nothing more to be had they then stabbed the woman’s fiancé and proceeded to cut a lock of hair from his head.
Yesterday the visibly upset woman called on the President of Guyana and the Police Commissioner to continue their fight to put systems in place to rid the country of the illegal guns on the streets and bring all guilty persons to justice.
The young man who accompanied her fiancé to the airport has been detained for questioning by the police.
Meanwhile, Charles told this publication that as the men searched for more valuables and other items she brought from the US, one of them proceeded to fondle her.
Charles said that she believes that the robbery was a well orchestrated move and according to her she is of the view that a lot of people are well aware of what happened as persons knew of the intended act.
She pointed out that three days before she arrived in Guyana someone went to the power company, GPL, and informed them that the meter at the woman’s house was tampered with, although no one was dwelling at the home on a daily basis.
Charles said that the claim of meter tampering was strange since the meter was mounted on a Guyana Power and Light pole which towered several feet into the air.
She is of the view that whoever robbed her on Sunday night was putting systems in place for her to come home and meet the house in darkness where they would have been better able to carry out their act.
Charles said that she will be visiting the power company to deal with the issue of the meter and will also be visiting the United States Embassy to seek another passport so that she can travel back to the US where she works as a nurse.
Meanwhile, over at lot 45 West Ruimveldt another United States-based Guyanese who returned home on Sunday morning also on Caribbean Airlines suffered a similar fate while she too was offloading her luggage.
Nichole Nedd who travelled to Guyana from Staten Island, New York City, to spend time with her family after seven years was relieved of her handbag containing all her valuables, including cash and important documents.
While the ordeal was not as violent as the one in Tucville, Nedd who is also into nursing is still shaken by the ordeal and said that she is not sure if she will ever return to this country again.
In recounting the ordeal on Sunday morning, Nedd said that she was pulling one of her suitcases when a young man calmly walked into her home behind her.
She said that at first she thought the person was a family member until she saw the man whip out a firearm and ordered her and everyone else in the house not to move or say a word. The woman said that she handed over her bag willingly, knowing the seriousness of the situation and decided that it was worth more for her to be alive.
She said that at the time of the robbery there were males in the house but they were all asleep. She said that they were not awakened since the bandit only whispered throughout the entire ordeal which lasted just about one minute.
Nedd said that before she arrived everyone was up and awaiting her arrival but because of the flight delay the males and other occupants of the house decided to retire to bed.
Nedd said that she often wondered why persons are very hesitant to return home. According to her now that she has experienced the dilemma for herself she is very disturbed. She said that it is unfair for Guyanese to be working hard to provide for their loved ones back home and when they return here to relax they have to be greeted by such a frightening experience as the one she faced yesterday morning.
Nedd said that she is of the view that there is something fishy happening at the airport and called on the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Guyana Police Force to look into the matter swiftly since it is a very serious development.
She said that she is strongly of the view that the issues may be at the level of the Customs, since according to her it is there where the passengers entering the country have to “declare” their valuables and other items, including the amount of cash which they are bringing into the country.
Brooklyn-based Binka Charles who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle said that she arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on a Caribbean Airlines flight which had been delayed.
The woman said that her fiancé and his friend who is unknown to her were the two persons who received her at the airport. She said that as she arrived at her lot 8 Perry Street, Tucville home and was about to exit the car she noticed three men approaching the vehicle.
According to the shaken woman the men were armed with a cutlass, a knife and a handgun. She said that the man with the gun trained it on her fiancé who is very muscular while the one with the knife kept her confined to one location in the yard.
Charles said that the men then began beating her fiancé after relieving her of her handbag containing all the necessary documents she had on her person, including her passport, driver’s licence and hundreds of US dollars.
The US citizen said that as the men continued their assault on her boyfriend, they kept asking her where the rest of the money was and appeared intent on doing more severe harm to the man if more money was not produced.
During the entire ordeal, the woman explained that the other man who came to the airport with her fiancé was not harmed and he just sat in a corner of the yard. At one point the men took the car keys and attempted to open the door to the home which they had not yet entered.
Charles said that the house was full of foreigners who had travelled to Guyana for a funeral and were locked in the house. However, she said that as fate would have it, no one in the house was aware of what was happening outside and they all seemed to have been asleep.
When the men realized that there was nothing more to be had they then stabbed the woman’s fiancé and proceeded to cut a lock of hair from his head.
Yesterday the visibly upset woman called on the President of Guyana and the Police Commissioner to continue their fight to put systems in place to rid the country of the illegal guns on the streets and bring all guilty persons to justice.
The young man who accompanied her fiancé to the airport has been detained for questioning by the police.
Meanwhile, Charles told this publication that as the men searched for more valuables and other items she brought from the US, one of them proceeded to fondle her.
Charles said that she believes that the robbery was a well orchestrated move and according to her she is of the view that a lot of people are well aware of what happened as persons knew of the intended act.
She pointed out that three days before she arrived in Guyana someone went to the power company, GPL, and informed them that the meter at the woman’s house was tampered with, although no one was dwelling at the home on a daily basis.
Charles said that the claim of meter tampering was strange since the meter was mounted on a Guyana Power and Light pole which towered several feet into the air.
She is of the view that whoever robbed her on Sunday night was putting systems in place for her to come home and meet the house in darkness where they would have been better able to carry out their act.
Charles said that she will be visiting the power company to deal with the issue of the meter and will also be visiting the United States Embassy to seek another passport so that she can travel back to the US where she works as a nurse.
Meanwhile, over at lot 45 West Ruimveldt another United States-based Guyanese who returned home on Sunday morning also on Caribbean Airlines suffered a similar fate while she too was offloading her luggage.
Nichole Nedd who travelled to Guyana from Staten Island, New York City, to spend time with her family after seven years was relieved of her handbag containing all her valuables, including cash and important documents.
While the ordeal was not as violent as the one in Tucville, Nedd who is also into nursing is still shaken by the ordeal and said that she is not sure if she will ever return to this country again.
In recounting the ordeal on Sunday morning, Nedd said that she was pulling one of her suitcases when a young man calmly walked into her home behind her.
She said that at first she thought the person was a family member until she saw the man whip out a firearm and ordered her and everyone else in the house not to move or say a word. The woman said that she handed over her bag willingly, knowing the seriousness of the situation and decided that it was worth more for her to be alive.
She said that at the time of the robbery there were males in the house but they were all asleep. She said that they were not awakened since the bandit only whispered throughout the entire ordeal which lasted just about one minute.
Nedd said that before she arrived everyone was up and awaiting her arrival but because of the flight delay the males and other occupants of the house decided to retire to bed.
Nedd said that she often wondered why persons are very hesitant to return home. According to her now that she has experienced the dilemma for herself she is very disturbed. She said that it is unfair for Guyanese to be working hard to provide for their loved ones back home and when they return here to relax they have to be greeted by such a frightening experience as the one she faced yesterday morning.
Nedd said that she is of the view that there is something fishy happening at the airport and called on the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Guyana Police Force to look into the matter swiftly since it is a very serious development.
She said that she is strongly of the view that the issues may be at the level of the Customs, since according to her it is there where the passengers entering the country have to “declare” their valuables and other items, including the amount of cash which they are bringing into the country.
Like Charles, Nedd is scheduled to visit the United States Embassy this morning to formally report the ordeal and the loss of their US passports.
The police have been unable to arrest anyone in connection with the latter robbery.
