A BERBICE River family remains terrified and is now counting their losses after armed bandits discharged several rounds causing them to plunge from their floating shop into the murky Berbice River, from where they sought refuge inland.

One of the six masked bandits pursued the youngest member of the family, and plucked her from the waterway into the motor vessel. The bandits demanded and took away cash, jewellery and other items to the value of just under $1M.

Mr. Randy Gladstone along with his wife Donna, and daughter Rushell,22, of Maria Henriette, Berbice River, remains shaken by the one-hour ordeal which occurred on Thursday, at about 02:00hrs. He has since issued a call to the Minister of Public Security to have a Police Outpost, along with constant marine patrol along the Berbice River as a deterrent to those with criminal intent.

Further, he is appealing for the businessmen in the riverain community to be issued with firearm licences so they can protect themselves.
According to the businessman, he was in the wheelhouse with his wife when he heard persons approaching in a wooden vessel, saying they wanted to buy gas.

“But, I said I don’t have, as they looked suspicious to me. They started to use a series of expletives, and fired several shots at the vessel. I hailed out to my daughter, who was on the lower deck, telling her bandits were around. We descended through a small door, into the lower deck, before plunging into the river and walking to shore, after the men had fired shots at the wheelhouse window, where they gained entry into the boat,” the man related.
He said he shouted out to the neighbours in close proximity, but no one ventured out as there was rapid gunfire.

Rushell recalled plunging overboard with her parents, but soon afterwards she was caught by one of the bandits who took her back to the boat, where they bound her feet and demanded money, a gun and jewellery.

After a gun was pointed to her head she handed over her parents’ money and a gold ring which she had purchased for herself. Further, the bandits who concealed their faces with towels, took away a television, an inverter, two cell phones, two handbags, two torchlights, gasoline and diesel before leaving in their boat.

Randy expressed concern over the fact that the bandits fired a shot at the diesel drum to access the flammable liquid, which could have resulted in an explosion.
The matter has since been reported to Central Police Station, following which detectives visited the scene and removed two, 12-gauge cartridges which were embedded into the wooden boat. When this newspaper visited the scene on Friday afternoon, another spent shell was seen lodged into the roof of the vessel. The police are investigating.

Meanwhile on August 30 last, another Berbice River business couple, Frank and Cheryl Gladstone, were robbed of their gold jewellery, cash and mobile phone, moments after being awakened from their sleep at the New Amsterdam Municipal wharf. It was just after 02:15hrs that Wednesday that the couple was awakened after hearing a strange noise, which was the sound of a boat being paddled alongside their vessel.

Seconds later, three masked men, brandishing two handguns and a cutlass, confronted the couple and began making demands for cash and jewellery.

The 48-year-old woman was broadsided with a cutlass by one of the bandits, while another with a gun threatened to shoot her 50-year-old husband if they did not cooperate. The bandits then bound the couple together by their hands before and taking away the woman’s wedding band, along with two additional gold rings, their mobile phones, her handbag, and cash exceeding $725,000, during the ordeal which lasted over 15 minutes.
They subsequently men fled the scene in their wooden vessel and it is suspected that a motorised craft was awaiting them some distance away.

The couple managed to untie themselves and raised an alarm after which they reported the incident at the Municipal Constabulary outpost and then to Central Police Station, from where an investigation is ongoing.
No arrests have yet been made.