THE police in ‘B’ Division have arrested two persons in connection with the armed robbery of a Mibicuri rice farmer and his family on Tuesday morning.

The men, identified as Delon Johnson called ‘Rasta City’ and Indar Arjune, called ‘Braff,’ were nabbed by the police at dawn on Wednesday morning.

A police source indicated that based on the description provided by the family, they were able to positively identify the men and conducted a raid on Wednesday, which resulted in the suspects’ arrest. The source further related that the men are expected to make their appearance in court today, as there is sufficient incriminating evidence against the men.

According to reports, rice farmer Lomas Parag, 70 and his wife Naziran Hussain, 60, along with their niece and nephew were attacked by the two gun-toting men around 02:00hrs on Tuesday morning. The men relieved the family of G$200,000, US$630, two diamond rings, a gold chain and several bangles. The men also took another bag containing $1.2 million in cash, which was withdrawn from a commercial bank by the family to pay workers.

The cash belonged to a relative of the rice farmer, who had withdrawn the money to take care of expenses pertaining to the rice business. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, the rice farmer believes he was traced from a commercial bank in Rose Hall Town on Monday by the two armed bandits, who pounced on the family and executed the crime early Tuesday morning, carting away over $1.5 million in the process.

The family told this publication that the men repeatedly asked for “the black bag,” with which they were seen at the bank earlier on Monday. During the melee, the bandits physically assaulted the family as they made their demands.

The man’s wife, Nizran Hussain, said she heard her niece screaming and upon investigation was confronted by an armed bandit who exclaimed “we is thief man we nah come fuh kill, we want the black bag with the money” and he fired a shot from his gun. The traumatised woman said she handed over her bag with over $300,000 in cash, but the men kept insisting that was not the money that they had come for.

“Them tie we up and keep asking for the black bag wah come from the bank, but I tell he that is the money and he kick me and said this is not the five-plot rice money. I try to explain that we had losses, but them keep hitting me and we eventually give them the bag that has the $1.2 million inside.”

The family was able to recognise Arjune, called ‘Braff,’ from his voice as he was known to the family and had on Wednesday last, asked questions regarding how much rice the family was planting, which knowledge he used during the robbery to demand more money. The family also recalled seeing a person sporting dreadlocks believed to be Johnson opposite the bank. During the robbery, he kept asking for a gold chain and bangles one of the victims wore when they went to the bank.

After the robbery, the men made good their escape on a new motor cycle the family had bought their niece to assist with her daily travels to school. It was recovered on Tuesday, abandoned at a rice field in the backlands of Black Bush Polder. Apart from the cash and jewellery, the bandits also made off with several cellphones, including one that the family is desperately trying to get back that contained notes from lessons for their niece, who started writing examinations yesterday (Wednesday).

The police on Tuesday made a sweep for the men, but were unable to capture them at that time; however, after diligent investigations, they were able to surprise the men early Wednesday morning and capture them.