Bandits dump kidnap victim after daring daylight robbery

Jan 11, 2012 News

Police are hunting for four bandits who at around 10:30hrs yesterday invaded the home and

Albert Subhan yesterday at the GPHC

business premises of 65-year-old Albert Subhan before brutalizing his family and robbing them of close to $1M in cash and jewellery, before kidnapping his 33-year-old son-in-law Wazim Sheriff (who arrived as the robbery was occurring), and subsequently demanding a $30M ransom.
When Kaieteur News arrived at the Subhans’ Lot 14 No.22 Bel Air Village residence, the terrorized family was being interviewed by the police.
According to the owner’s wife, Zulika Subhan, 56, she lives there with her husband, her daughter Zameena Subhan, 28, and a 12-year-old handicapped grandson, Farad, who is wheelchair bound.
They operate a grocery (Subhan’s General Store) in the two-flat concrete structure. The woman stated that they have been living there for over 25 years and have been operating the shop for about three years. According to her this is the second time that they have been robbed.
The visibly shaken woman recounted that she was sitting under a shed at the side of the shop; her daughter was in the shop while her husband was relaxing in a hammock under the shed with their grandson nearby.
She stated that at about 10:00 hrs, four bandits scaled the back fence and entered the shop from a side door which was open. They bound her daughter, taped her mouth and placed a knife to her throat.
Mrs Subhan stated that the bandits then brought her daughter outside and before she could realize what was happening, she was slapped to the face and hit on the head with a gun, while one of the men placed a knife to her throat. She stated that the four bandits were not wearing masks.
At the same time another accomplice had entered the shop to purchase a drink.
The men then attacked her husband who was relaxing in his hammock. He was viciously struck on the head with a gun .The elderly man fell out of the hammock and severely injured his side. The bandits all the time were demanding money “Give we all the money and jewellery or we gon kill you all.”

The Subhans car which the bandits used to make good their escape, then abandoned

The bandits in the meantime forced the daughter, Zameena, at knifepoint upstairs where they ransacked her room and took away $505,000 and some jewellery. They then entered another room before taking away some more jewellery, estimated to be worth more than $250,000. The victims were all bound.
The robbers then collected all the house, shop and vehicle keys and were about to make their escape when Wazim Sheriff entered the yard.
The remigrant businessman of Number Four village was visiting his in-laws to collect a vehicle to use, because he had lent his vehicle to one of his workers. He was immediately pounced upon and beaten, his licenced firearm, a .32 revolver, was taken away and he was bundled into one of the cars at the premises, PNN 871.
“They knocked him with a gun, seized him, then left with the family car,” Mrs Subhan said.
Mrs Subhan stated that after the bandits had left with her son-in-law they loosened their restraints and “started to shout for thief and help”.
Kaieteur News was unable to get an interview with Sheriff since he was with the police. However according to his wife, Zameena, she tried calling her husband, but was not getting through. He subsequently answered the phone telling her that he was okay before hanging up. She kept redialing, but got no response.
Subsequently her brother called her and informed her that the bandits had kidnapped her husband. After calling for awhile, one of the bandits answered the phone informing her that he (Wazim) had been kidnapped and his family would have to pay thirty million dollars for his release. The relatives were told that they should head up the Corentyne to meet the bandits.
“We are heading to Corentyne and you have to pay thirty million or he gon be dead”.
Ameena Sheriff said that about an hour later the police informed the family that her husband was seen in a desolate area in Mahaicony. Apparently, the bandits had run out of gasoline and decided to beat their captive, strip him, tie him to a tree and throw away the car keys. He untied himself and made his way to the Mahaicony Police Station where he made a cell phone call (from an officer’s phone) to his wife.
He is now fine and resting according to the family. Meanwhile, Albert Subhan is in hospital recuperating from trauma and injuries.
Mrs Subhan, the owner’s wife, stated that they saw four bandits, but according to the son-in-law, two accomplices were guarding outside and when he tried to first enter the premises, he was accosted by the duo (a female and male) who asked him where he was going and told him don’t go in there. He ignored their assertion and entered.
After he was bundled into the car with three bandits, the two that were outside went into another vehicle.
According to Sheriff, as the bandits were heading towards Georgetown, the three that were holding him captive were calling on the two in the other vehicle to take the lead so as to inform them if “police (roadblock) were on the road”. However those at the back were unable to catch up with those in front.
The bandits on their way were barefacedly signaling to oncoming vehicles, asking if police were on the road. They eventually turn down a lonely road at Drill, Mahaicony, about one mile down a bushy area, where they again beat the hapless man, before stripping him and using his bootlaces and belt to tie his hands and feet together. They also stripped him of his band, rings, chains and wallet with all his documents and about $8,000 in cash, before leaving him.
According to the victim, the bandits walked out back towards the road, however, not before abandoning the car, pulling out a few wires in the process. All the time they were deciding if they should kill him or give him a chance.
He somehow managed to release himself and walked to the Mahaicony Police station, where he made a report. His wallet was later found about two miles away at Fairfield, Mahaicony.
Residents in the area stated that they noticed a yellow taxi in the area a few days before and the same taxi was in the area sometime before the robbery.
Police are investigating.