-gun, money, gold, diamond other items taken

SIX persons, including a husband and wife, were on Thursday held at gunpoint by four bandits, three males and a female, during a daring mid-morning robbery in Alexander village where the couple operated a goldsmith shop.

Theresa Ali, 38 years, a housewife and her husband Intikhab Ali, 39, a goldsmith were pounced upon by the bandits just about 11:30 hours on Thursday morning while customers were in their establishment, Kumar Jewellery. The woman was upstairs in her living quarters while her husband was downstairs with workers and customers.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Friday, Crime Chief Leslie James confirmed that the incident did take place and that during the incident the couple was relieved of millions, while other goldsmiths who were in the shop working at the time, as well as customers, were relieved of their belongings and valuables.
The bandits also took away a .32 firearm according to the crime chief. Asked if any of the persons were masked, James related that three of the bandits were not while the other was masked. He said that while the men robbed the persons who were present at the Lot 4 First Street Alexander Village property which houses the business place and living quarters of the couple, the female bandit used duct tape to bind her victims.
Up to late yesterday afternoon three persons including one woman were picked up on Friday and were up to Saturday still in police custody assisting with the investigations as the police seek to have the robbery solved. The police are looking to have them finger printed and profiled and they are likely to be placed on an identification parade. There were also reports that the bandits had another accomplice waiting outside the business a short distance away in a car, which was used to escape from the scene.
The other four persons who were robbed were identified as 30- year-old Charrandat Paul of Block 12 Non Pareil East Coast Demerara. He was robbed of a Nokia cell phone worth $66,000; Thirty-year-old Goldsmith Ricky Ronald of 93 First Street Grove East Bank Demerara was robbed of two gold rings valued at $70,000 and a Samsung mobile phone.
The other two persons who were present and robbed were Latiff Persaud a 22-year-old Goldsmith of 18 First Street Alexander Village, and Pooran Ramoutar, a 32-year-old manager of another gold establishment and of 19 First Street Alexander Village
The former was robbed of a mobile phone and a silver band, while the latter was robbed of eight pennyweight of 14 carat gold valued at $40,000 and three pennyweight of 12 carat gold worth $16,000.

(By Leroy Smith)