Bogus GPL workers captured after botched Eccles robbery

Oct 03, 2012 News

Two bandits who posed as employees of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. were arrested by police with a .32 snub-nose revolver with three rounds following a botched robbery at Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara yesterday.
The men were forced to abandon their intended robbery on businessman Ravi Singh after his wife managed to elude them and raise an alarm, which alerted a passing police mobile patrol unit. Police in a press release said that at about 09:50 hours yesterday, two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, held up the 33-year- old Singh as he entered his yard at Eccles.
According to the police, public-spirited persons who observed the incident informed the police and a mobile patrol that was in the area promptly responded.
“The two perpetrators who had posed as GPL meter readers were arrested and a .32 snub nose revolver with three rounds recovered.”
The businessman’s wife told this newspaper that the same men had tried to gain entry to her yard last Friday pretending to be GPL workers, carrying out inspection of meters. At the time her husband was not at home and the woman followed her instinct and refused to let them in.
“I had the gut instinct that something was wrong and I called my husband and told him that I didn’t feel like opening up for them to come in. They went away and came back two times on Friday,” the woman told this newspaper.
Recounting yesterday’s ordeal, Mrs. Singh said that her husband had just left the home when the men came to her gate and asked to speak with her. She said that since the men were neatly dressed with shirt bearing the GPL logo on the pocket and collar, she felt it was possible that they were from the power company and she did not want to be accused of not facilitating their work. She contacted her husband on his cellular phone and told him of her plans, resulting in him returning home.
He arrived just as she was about to open the gate for the men to come in the yard.
The woman said that while her husband went with the two men to the side of the house where the meter was, she went into her house and shut the grill door, since she still harboured suspicions.
“They were telling my husband that they could ‘fix’ the meter but he told them that it was okay. Then they asked for ice water. I had to open to give them the water and one of them put a gun to my husband’s chest and forced him into the house.”
The woman said that the other bandit grabbed her clothes but she managed to hold on to the gate and scream. Eventually she freed herself and “ran up the road”, alerting neighbours, who in turn alerted the police.
The woman told Kaieteur News that this must have thrown the bandits into confusion as the one who was holding her shouted to his accomplice for them to abandon the robbery and flee.
“While they were running away, my husband followed them and the police came up and caught them. I heard about three gunshots,” Mrs. Singh told this newspaper.
“These men were well dressed. I see thief man before but these didn’t look like that,” she added. Police say that the men will be charged and placed before the court soon.

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Bogus GPL workers captured after botched Eccles robbery

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