-over $6M in cash recovered

AS police continue their investigation into the armed robbery committed at Kaieteur News, four men have been arrested and millions of dollars that were in a stolen safe along with a firearm and other items have been recovered.

Based on the information released by the police on Tuesday, investigators managed to crack the case in less than 48 hours, arresting the alleged mastermind and three of his accomplices. Efforts are being made to locate two others.

The police identified those in custody as Ryan Wharton, a former employee of Kaieteur News and the alleged mastermind, 36-year-old taxi driver Harry Stongster, Wharton’s cousin Lemuel Grant, whose mother owns the Spacio motor car that was allegedly used by the gunmen, and 40-year-old Collis Haywood. Police said that their efforts to arrest 35-year-old security guard, Joshua Junor, who was one of the three persons robbed and held at gunpoint, and 25-year-old Ivor Belingie also known as ‘Wildlife’ have been unsuccessful so far.

In a press release issued hours after the robbery, the police said that the incident occurred around 01:15 hrs, when three men in a gold-coloured Spacio motor car, registration number unknown, stormed the building through an eastern door on the bottom flat and held security guards Noel Junor, 63 and Joshua Junor, and Wayne Little, a 20-year-old Graphic Designer, at gunpoint.

The three employees were taken to an office where they were instructed to lie on the ground.
Police said Noel was robbed of $5,000 cash, Little was robbed of a $44,000 cellphone and Joshua was robbed of a Samsung S7 cellular phone valued at $40,000.
One of the suspects remained with the victims while his accomplices went straight to the Accounts Department which is located on the upper flat of the building.

“The door was secured with a Yale padlock which was wrenched off by the suspects. The lock on one of the desk drawers inside the Accounts Department was also broken off. Under the said desk there was a small safe with an undisclosed amount of cash which the suspects took. The suspects spent about five minutes in the building, exited through the front door and escaped in the said motor car in a southern direction,” the police release stated.

Police investigators reviewed the company’s CCTV camera footage, but due to the face masks that the suspects were wearing, it was difficult to identify the bandits.
In its update on Tuesday, the police disclosed that a firearm, ammunition, and other items were also in the stolen safe.

It was explained that the stolen cash was divided into four and the clothing worn by the gunmen and the fake number plate that was on the Spacio were burnt shortly after the robbery.
One .32 Taurus pistol, 209 live .32 rounds of ammunition, 71 live 9mm ammunition, five 9mm magazines, two .32 magazines, one pistol (Glock) case, one holster and three hand grips were placed into a black strap haversack and given to a Tucville resident, the police said in a release.

Detectives were later led to his home where he handed over the items which are the property of Glenn Mohan Lall, the owner of Kaieteur News. He was arrested.
Another suspect, it was stated placed his share of the money into a plastic bag, along with his cell- phone, and took it to his “child-mother” for her to keep. He allegedly told her that “he won the money from Superbet.” Police made contact with the woman who handed over $3.5 million.

Another suspect handed over $2,667,900 along with US$685 (approximately G$137,000), the release said.
According to the police, ranks were taken to a trench at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens where the stolen safe was recovered. The safe was photographed and lodged.