Gunman grabs $17M, guns, ammo from Toolsie Persaud employees

Aug 16, 2013 News

– Accounts clerks, guards detained
Police are grilling four employees of local hardware giant, Toolsie Persaud Limited, who are claiming that a lone gunman relieved them of $17M in broad daylight.
The staffers also claimed that the bandit relieved two company guards of their firearms during the heist, which occurred at around 13:00 hours yesterday at Sussex and Charles Streets, Charlestown.
But investigators appear to believe that the incident has all the hallmarks of an inside job and have detained the employees with a view to picking up clues on the robbery.
According to reports, accounts clerks Jonathan Dookie, 21, and 57-year-old Dewan Chand of Toolsie, who were accompanied by two armed security guards, were on their way to a Water Street bank in a pickup when they were forced to stop at Sussex and Charles Streets, Charlestown, to avoid hitting a pedestrian.
According to sources, the staffers claimed that the same ‘pedestrian’ then drew a firearm and pointed it at one of the armed guards, who is also employed as a driver. It is alleged that the gunman then relieved the employees of some $16.9 million, a loaded .32 Taurus pistol and .32 Taurus revolver. He reportedly then escaped in a silver-grey car.
But Kaieteur News understands that persons who were in the area at the time claimed that they did not see when the men were robbed. Some only observed the employees running and saying that they had been robbed.
Yesterday’s robbery occurred two days after the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a special seminar to sensitise its members on security issues. It also came a few days after the police had raided the same area, which they consider a hotspot for crime.
One businessman was so disgusted at the way the robbery occurred that he described the actions of the company as “penny wise, pound foolish”.
He suggested that the company should have opted for an armed police escort for such a large amount of cash, especially since the police service comes at a cheap price.
“This is a real security lapse on the part of a big company like Toolsie Persaud Limited. Despite all the warnings and advice on how to move cash, these people have not taken their security seriously, and some people blame the police,” the businessman stated.
He recalled an incident that occurred in the city a few weeks ago when a businessman transporting a large amount of cash was seriously wounded, while his handyman was shot dead by bandits who made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
“All these people have to do is to make an arrangement with the police to escort these large amounts of cash,” the businessman emphasized.
Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell had also recently cautioned members of the business community to be more security conscious, particularly when transporting large sums of cash.

5 thoughts on “Gunman grabs $17M, guns, ammo from Toolsie Persaud employees”

chris bailey August 16, 2013 at 5:15 am

I am a Guyanese reading this in Athens Greece…this is like a play at the theater/g in parade st Kingston!
GT@heart August 16, 2013 at 5:01 pm

It is sad to see the state of mind of my beloved country has become,domestic violence is at its worst. People need God in their lives, and go back to the sanctity of Marriage and stop with the Common law living wether its husband or wife. It is so common in our country from the highest esteem in position to the lowest that is Ministers in Government or the Common man or woman
Faith Adams August 16, 2013 at 10:27 pm

In running a business, we all want to cut out the middle man and cut cost but it would be wiser to use a police escort or trusted courier service. You put innocent lives on the street at risk, when bandits will open fire on a car in public; to execute a robbery.
Cotton_Candy August 16, 2013 at 11:51 pm

What a shame our country has gone to the dogs as they say, crimes and more crimes, never being solved, criminals always escape and never caught, if caught they never have the loot. What kind of PROTECTION IS THERE IN GUYANA????? The entire government needs overhauling….everyone is taking BRIBES, from the Top to the Bottom. The government is not willing to take offers that they are getting from North America and Europe to assist them in controlling the crime rate in Guyana and the reason for them not wanting to accept it its because the Big- Fishes are going to be caught up in there own lies.
donna mootoo August 20, 2013 at 9:46 am

definitely an inside job!