AN elderly couple who operates a variety store at Nouvelle Flanders, West Coast Demerara was on Sunday night robbed of cash, a licensed firearm, and a quantity of brand name colognes when two gunmen stormed the premises from which the couple operates.A visibly traumatised Lennox Albert told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that the incident occurred at about 20:00hrs as he was about to call it a day. He was in the process of padlocking his gate when he was confronted by a man carrying a gun.

He explained that after putting the gun to his head, the man told him to be quiet and began riffling his pockets, during which the bandit came across his licensed .32 pistol and relieved him of it.

The robber then ordered his accomplice to jump the gate and enter the yard, and together they took him at gunpoint to join his wife, Verna, in the house.
LONG GUN
By this time, Albert said, the accomplice had pulled out ‘a long gun’ from his waist, and training it on his wife, they both proceeded to make their demands.

Albert said $500,000 he and his wife had in cash were immediately handed over to the bandits, in addition to a quantity of expensive perfumes they had in the house. But seemingly not satisfied with what they’d gotten, the bandits demanded more; at which point the Alberts, pleading for their lives, told them to take whatever took their fancy, as they had nothing more of value to offer.
At this, Albert said, the one with ‘the long gun’ went into each of the home’s three bedrooms and ransacked them. He even took whatever $100 and $20 notes he came across, Albert said.
In all, he said, the men spent about 20 minutes searching the house, after which they calmly left.

The couple later summoned the police, who took statements from each of them. Up to press time, there’s been no arrest in that matter.
SEPARATE INCIDENT
Meanwhile, in a separate incident early Sunday morning, the proprietor of Vincent Supermarket, located on the Vreed-en-Hoop Public Road, West Coast Demerara, was beaten in the head when two gunmen stormed the premises.

Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that it was the third time in his more-than-40-years in business that he’s been targeted by armed bandits.
He said he was tending to his birds when he came face-to-face with a man with a handgun.
He distinctly recalled that it was at about 06:30 hrs, because he’d just opened for business. Placing the weapon at his head, Persaud said, the bandit escorted him to the kitchen area, where he made his demands. It was at this point, he said, that the man was joined by an accomplice, who also had a similar weapon.

Persaud said that although he was warned not to scream, he did anyway, so as to alert his daughters, wife and mother-in-law, who were in different parts of the premises at the time.

Angered by what he’d done, Persaud said, one of the intruders struck him in the head with his gun, while the other discharged a round in his direction, but the bullet missed him.

Nettled by now, he said, the men took whatever cash they could find in the supermarket, which he said was “a substantial amount”, and headed to the corner near the shop to await the arrival of the getaway car.

This they did in full view of passers-by, who were either going about their daily business or heading to work.
They reportedly had to wait for five minutes before the vehicle, a white Toyota 212 with license plate PPP 6813, arrived with three other occupants inside, and whisked them away.

No arrest has as yet been made in this matter.