FOLLOWING the armed robbery at the Beterverwagting Post Office, Canterbury Walk, East Coast Demerara, the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) Wednesday asked pensioners to visit the Plaisance Post Office for pension payments and other business, since the BV Post Office will remain closed until further notice.

GPOC Public Relations Officer, Telesha Whyte said they are working with the police as it is.

Meanwhile, ‘C’ Division Commander, Christopher Griffith told this publication that they have not made any arrests yet, but the case is active and sleuths are pursuing several leads.

More than a dozen pensioners who had showed up at the Beterverwagting Post Office were forced to return home empty-handed after the robbery was committed in their presence by two gunmen at about 09:50hrs.

‘C’ Division Commander, Christopher Griffith told this publication that the bandits went into the post office shortly after it had opened for business and broke the glass window with a hammer after which they asked for the postmaster.

The postmistress was then accosted and they demanded that she hand over the money “they just bring in”; they then took her to the safe and she quickly handed over the bag containing $3M which had been transported to the location a short time before the bandits struck.

Griffith added that both men were armed with handguns and arrived and left in a white 192 Toyota Carina motorcar bearing a false number plate PKK 4302.

He stated that the police found a hire car with the same number plate at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, but it was not the getaway car.

Bandits had robbed the Campbellville Post Office in similar manner on June 10, 2014, when a lone gunman made off with $3M in cash and vouchers after kicking in the inner door to an office where the money was stored.

It happened at about 07:30hrs, shortly after the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had escorted a canister with cash and had lodged same in the storage area.

The gunman made his way into the post office and kicked in a door that leads to the tellers and the office, after which he cornered several staffers who were manning the counter and demanded money, before going into the office and taking the money.

The bandit pounced on, and robbed, the place in a timely, well-orchestrated manner, as if he had been observing the movements of employees.

His accomplice awaited him in front of the post office on a CG motorcycle upon which they made their speedy getaway before the police showed up.