THE armed robbery of a Diamond, East Bank Demerara couple returning from the USA last week may not be as random as it appears, since sleuths are of the belief that the couple’s movements may have been timed before the robbery was executed.Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told this newspaper that although no arrests have yet been made, the police are looking at the robbery from all angles.

The taxi driver has since been ruled out as a suspect. It is believed that the couple had been watched and timed well by the robbers; hence the crime was well orchestrated.

The man and his wife were returning home after a holiday overseas; and upon arrival at CJIA, they had telephoned a familiar taxi driver to pick them up and take them to their 11th Street, Back Half, Diamond Housing Scheme residence.

The couple told this newspaper that they could not recall being followed by a white car while on their way home from the CJIA, but as soon as they reached in front of their house, they were relieved of their two-piece hand luggage which contained important documents and cash, among other things they had brought for persons.

The husband told this newspaper that the car they were in had just parked in front their house, and he had exited the car to open the gate, when a white car passed and two men approached him. One man, who had a knife, told him “Don’t move!” and the other man, who had a gun, held up the driver and put him to lie on the ground, while his wife was still seated in the vehicle.

The knife-toting bandit then demanded that the man’s wife hand over the bags. When she hesitated, the gunman — who by then was becoming impatient — threatened to shoot the driver if she did not comply.

The terrified woman was forced to hand over the two hand-piece bags to the robber who was armed with the knife, and he reassured his accomplice that he was in possession of the bags, so he need not shoot anybody. Thereafter, the bandits fled the scene on foot and left the area via a white car which was waiting for them down the street.

The couple related that the incident took place just before 03:00 hrs, and that they had taken a car they would normally travel with. They said they could not say who would have tipped off the bandits about their movements, leading up to the robbery.

The couple are asking anybody who may have information which may lead to the recovery of their documents, including passports with visas and other important documents which were in an envelope with the names Rohit Deeyal and Somwattie, to please call 625-6215.

The woman told this publication that she had brought for persons here some US$4,000 along with some documents among other articles that are of great importance and cannot be easily replaced.

‘COPS’ BANDITS
In the past men dressed as “cops” had, on several occasions, perpetrated armed robberies on members of the public who were either on their way to the CJIA or were returning from that location.

On August 2, 2014, a husband, wife and taxi driver were stopped on their way to the CJIA by two men who identified themselves as policemen. Claiming they were investigating an accident, the “policemen” took the trio to a dismal area at Soesdyke, where they were tied up and robbed of cash and jewellery amounting to millions of dollars. The victims were private school teacher Latchmin Gopaul, her husband Lekraj Gopaul of Hague, West Coast Demerara (WCD); and taxi driver Parmanand Teekaram of Cornelia Ida, WCD. They were travelling to the airport on their way to vacation overseas when, at about 11:00 hrs, they were stopped at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara and relieved of local and foreign currency and the jewellery and cellphones they had in their possession.

One week before, Pastor Sewnauth Poonalall of the Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church was gun-butted and robbed shortly after returning from the airport with overseas guests.

By Michel Outridge