…shoppers, vendors, stalls searched as jewellery stall broken into
OFFICERS of the Guyana Police Force and the Law Enforcement Unity of City Hall locked down all entrances to the Stabroek Market and conducted searches in several stalls and on everyone leaving the market following the break and entry into stall No: 45 that saw millions in gold jewelry being carted off. From all indications, the break and entry occurred during the course of Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, stall holder Radhika Samuels said that when she showed up to open her stall yesterday she noticed that a light was on, something that was rather unusual. She said that after seeing the light on, she became suspicious.
According to Ms Samuels, she noticed the safe open and all the jewelry was gone. She raised an alarm and summoned the police as well as the private security firm, MMC, which also provides security to the stall. The security company has an alarm system installed at the location.
Ms. Samuels described the stolen items as her life investment and even admitted that several of the items stolen were the property of persons who brought jewelry for her to either clean or make over.
The thieves entered the stall from a hole they made in the roof.
Asked if the items were insured the woman responded in the negative. She said that some 15 years ago she suffered the same fate, and the stolen jewellery was never recovered.
The stall holders are claiming that yesterday morning, city constables, the police and security officers of the MMC security firm had a brief heated exchange about the response to the break and entry.
The stall holders told the media that an officer of the MMC security firm was informing the stall holder that they made a visit to the location in response to an indication at the security command centre that something was wrong at the stall. One vendor explained that as the security firm member was explaining the situation to the woman, he was ordered to “shut up or get locked up”. She said that the directive came from a police officer and this was condoned by a city constable.

The night before
Contacted yesterday, a source at the security firm informed this publication that his officers did not respond to any indication of break in or breach of security at the stall on Tuesday morning.
The source added that when the firm was called on Tuesday about the break in, they raced to the location but were prevented from entering the market as the Guyana Police Force and the City Hall Law enforcement unity had locked the gates to the facility and were conducting searches.
What the source explained is that on Monday evening, the firm’s command centre got an indication that the alarm to the stall was disarmed and the patrol ranks immediately journey to the location and stopped at the nearby office of the city’s enforcement unit. The source informed that the security firm officer informed an officer of the city enforcement unit that they had received an indication that the alarm to the stall was disarmed. Despite this explanation, the source said that the city constable refused open the gates to the market or to even accompany the security personnel into the facility to ensure that the stall was secure.
The source said that the command centre on Monday afternoon received an indication that the alarm to the stall was re-activated. The source is of the view that someone may have attempted to gain entry to stall on Monday morning by disarming the alarm, but was not able to make a full entry at that time. It is suggested that the person may have returned on Tuesday morning when they succeed in entering the stall.
The source told the Chronicle that had the security firm received the cooperation of the City Constable on Monday night, they would have been able to nab the person or persons who disarmed the alarm to the stall and attempted to gain entry to the facility that night.
The Guyana Chronicle was also informed that this is not the first time that security firms have been denied entry to the markets after hours by the council’s enforcement unit.
Security is council’s business
Yesterday, City Hall’s Public Relations Officer, Royston King denied that the security firm ever approached the city enforcement unit on Monday morning about any indication of an alarm breach. Asked about the arrangements in place for private security firms to check on stalls they provide security for, the PRO could not give a precise answer.
According to King, the city enforcement unity is responsible for the security of the market and have the authority to deny or grant access to anyone who wishes to enter council facilities, including the markets.
In response to claims by vendors that the city enforcement unit refused to open the gates to allow the security firm entry to the market, King said that the enforcement unit outpost at the Stabroek Market is not in possession of the market keys after hours. He said that the Mayor and City Council has a strict system when it comes to the uplifting and lodging of keys to the markets.
Yesterday vendors told the media that the claim by the PRO is a misrepresentation of what they were told at several meetings. The vendors are claiming that they were informed that once the keys are lodged at City Hall, the enforcement unit is then re-issued with the keys to make spot checks in the market. King denied the claim saying the while the enforcement unit makes spot checks at the facility, this is done on the outside, as no member of the council is allowed in the markets at nights, once the gates are closed.
The City Hall PRO told this publication that preliminary investigations reveal that the stall was broken into by someone who may have concealed himself in the market. He said that investigations are continuing into the matter and they have requested the assistance of the police.