Cops stake out planned robbery, kill two after 20-minute shootout

Dec 09, 2013 News

Two bandits were killed at around 22:30 hrs on Saturday at Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, following a 20-minute shootout with police, who had staked out the home of a trucking service operator that the suspects were reportedly planning to rob.
The slain men were identified as Paul Bascom, called ‘Shine Buck’ of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara and Alberto Grant, or Alberto Mustapha, 28, called Mukie, of Lot 299 Meadow Brook Gardens.

Bloodstains in the yard

Bascom was before the court as recently as last March for shooting and robbing a Diamond, East Bank Demerara businesswoman. However, Mustapha’s relatives yesterday said he was gainfully employed and angrily insisted that he was no criminal.
A statement from the Police Public Relations division said that the ranks recovered a .38 snub-nose revolver with two live rounds and two spent shells, along with one 9mm. round and two 7.62 x 39 rounds.
The intended victim is 33-year-old Ravi Dookram, of Section ‘C’, Block ‘Y’ Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara.
Dookram operates a trucking service that plies the interior routes. Dookram told Kaieteur News that he was returning from an interior location when the shooting occurred. Contrary to a police report, the East Bank Demerara resident insisted that he is no gold miner.
Dookram’s home is just about 200 yards from the Golden Grove Police Station and several residents commended the police for their swift response.
According to a statement from the Force’s Public Relations Division, police, acting on information received that a robbery had been planned to be carried out on a gold miner, staked out an area at Golden Grove, East Bank Demerra, last Saturday night.
”At about 22:30hrs, the police challenged two men who were approaching on foot and one of them pulled out a handgun and opened fire on the ranks. The police returned fire and fatally wounded both men,” the statement said.
Kaieteur News arrived at the scene about an hour after the shootout. By then, police ranks with high-powered weapons had cordoned off the roadway leading to Dookram’s home.
Yesterday, Kaieteur News observed drying pools of blood inside the intended victim’s yard, near to one of the front gates. Dokram confirmed that a bullet shattered the window of a vehicle in his yard.
The concrete fence is topped with barbed wire and the family owns about three fierce-looking dogs.
A police source who was at the scene on Saturday night said that around 22:30 hrs an anonymous caller informed the police that bandits were at Lot 756 Section C Block Y Diamond, which is where Dookram resides.

Alberto Mustapha’s father, Grant showing Kaieteur News a cupboard which his son built

Kaieteur News was told that six armed ranks immediately responded. “When we reach, the men were already in the yard. I don’t know how they got in. But as soon as we pulled up, they opened fire at us and we opened back fire at them.”
The police source said that the occupants of the house were in the interior. “It looks like someone dropped them (the alleged bandits) off there and left, or maybe they left whatever they used to get there somewhere else and walked to that location. When we got there, the dogs were barking.”
According to the source, Bascom is well known to police for multiple robberies under arms and police reportedly retrieved a quantity of 9mm rounds in one of his pockets.
Mr. Dookram told Kaieteur News that he was returning from the interior on Saturday and that his wife and three children were at home.
The businessman said that he was told that while he was still heading home, police ranks informed his wife that bandits were planning a robbery at his residence.
“She was scared and pack up and left with the children,” he said. “Then the policemen took charge; that is all that I know.” Dooram said that he was later informed about the shootout.
“I would like to thank the police for their great work. They received information and they acted on it.”

HEAVY GUNFIRE
A resident who lives close-by told Kaieteur News that he was alerted to the drama after hearing “a volley of gunshots” on Saturday night.
But at the time, the man said he assumed that someone was discharging firecrackers in the area.
“I went outside and I look around to see who shooting off squibs at that hour. Then I see a policeman raise up in the yard (where Dookram resides) and firing shots.” The resident said that he thought at first that the bandits were attacking and retreated into his house. According to the resident, the police ranks cordoned off the area and left at around 03:00 hrs yesterday.
Other residents in the area recalled seeking cover on their floors at around 22:00 hrs, after hearing gunfire that some said lasted about 20 minutes.
“I was in bed sound asleep when I heard the first shots and I came out of bed to get to my brother and son,” a woman who lives a few houses away from Dookram’s said. Other residents said that they first heard a brief burst of gunfire, followed by a heavy barrage, and said that they did not dare to look outside.
“I was scared to death; this is the first time we ever had something like this in our area,” another woman said.
A third female resident said that she was unable to sleep even after the gunfire ceased. She said that she looked outside at around 02:00 hrs yesterday and observed the ranks removing two bodies from the businessman’s yard.

HID UNDER BED
A woman who asked not to be named said that she was watching a movie when she heard loud gunshots. “I wake up my son and me and he went and hide under the bed because if you hear bullets. Like whoever was shooting, was using some high power rifle.”
A male resident, who identified himself as ‘Danny’ said that around 22:30 hrs, gunshots rang out in the area and at around 02:00 hrs yesterday, he saw ranks removing two bloodied bodies from the businessman’s home.
When Kaieteur News visited Alberto Mustapha’s Meadow Brook Gardens home yesterday, his father, Paul Grant, refused to believe that his son had tried to rob the home of a businessman.
“My son is a Muslim. He does work through that same street and he is not stupid to go rob someone in that street. The same man who they say my son was going to rob knows my son very well. I know the businessman too. Every morning when I pass there I does tell he good morning,” Mr. Grant said.
“That businessman fence is high. He has dogs there, so how on earth will my son reach in the yard? My son is talented with his hands. He works for his money. He does mason work and he is a goldsmith too like me. Is only the other day we had a tragedy here where a tree fell on our house and we trying to repair the house right now.” Mustapha’s relatives also said that they did not know Paul Bascom, the other slain man.
Bascom, who is in his twenties, was remanded last year in connection with the September 17, 2012 shooting of Diamond, East Bank Demerara businesswoman Bibi Samaroo. She was shot in her right shoulder and pelvis and relieved of $25,000. He was accused of discharging a loaded firearm at Samaroo with intent to maim, disfigure and cause grievous bodily harm.
But in March, 2013, despite strong objections by prosecution, Bascom was released on $1.8 M bail in connection with the same attack on Bibi Samaroo.