THREE masked men armed with guns and knives pounced on a family at Chesney Village, Corentyne, Berbice last Sunday at about midnight, carting off more than $500,000 in cash and jewellery.Ironically, the robbery occurred just opposite the Albion Police Station.

Owner of the home, Carmen Kissoon, founder of the Camal Children’s Home, told the Guyana Chronicle that she was awakened by one of the bandits, who stood over her with a flashlight and a gun pointed at her.

“He say give me the f#%*ing money and jewellery. I put my hands together and pleaded with him not to hurt me. Look the money in the bag,” she said.

The traumatised woman related that the bandit emptied the bag and only collected the money. The bandit then when over to her dresser and pocketed her jewellery, all the while, the two other robbers stood guard.

Not satisfied, the bandits continued to demand more money, and asked who else was at home, to which Kissoon responded her daughter-in-law Suzanne Jawaheer and her granddaughter.

She, however, noted that there were two other persons in the home: a guest from Suriname and an 18-year-old who resides with her. The woman was fearful that the bandits would hurt them.

After the bandits continued demanding more cash, she went to her daughter-in-law’s room and handed over more money to them. The money was the day’s earnings from her car wash and grocery store, which she operates at the bottom flat of the house.

In all, the bandits took over $300,000 in cash, of which $282,000 was money to start some construction at the orphanage.

Her wedding band, she said was worth over $200,000, while the earnings from the car wash were about $100,000. The jewellery taken from her dresser was valued about $100,000.

According to Kissoon, the ordeal lasted for about 15 minutes, and at one point the bandits asked for something to drink, and her granddaughter responded to their request.

She also noted that, while upstairs, her granddaughter-in-law attempted to make a call, but one of the bandits placed a knife to her throat and threatened to cut it open if she did.

After she put down the phone, Kissoon related, the robbers hurriedly escaped from her home, and darted through the backyard fence.

At this point, she related, she opened her door and screamed for help, and the police responded almost immediately. And though they combed the area, they were unable to locate the bandits.

Meanwhile, in another incident, a family who operates a grocery shop at Ankerville, Port Mourant was on Friday beaten and robbed at gunpoint by two masked men.

The bandits attacked the family as they were about to close the shop for the day.

A daughter of the family, Kavita Diaram, said she was going to lock the gate when two men, one armed with a gun and the other with a cutlass, approached her. The one with the cutlass dealt her several lashes about her body.

They them made their way to her parents, and demanded cash and jewellery while inflicting several blows on them.

The robbers took away an undisclosed sum of cash and phone cards. It was the third time the family was robbed in recent times.