Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Armed bandits grab $1.7M from Lands and Surveys
Armed bandits carried out a brazen mid-morning robbery at the Lands and Surveys Commission in Durban Backlands, Georgetown, carting off close to $1.7M in cash, around 10:30 hrs yesterday.
The Lands and Surveys Commission.
The three armed men walked past the security hut located at the front of the building and went straight to the cashier’s booth where one of them held up three female staffers, including the cashier.
The gunman’s two accomplices were in the building at different locations trying to distract other workers from going in the direction of the cashier’s booth. The robbery lasted for approximately eight minutes.
“One of them went by the HR (Human Resources Officer) trying to distract her so that she wouldn’t look up and see that a robbery was taking place next door to her. The other person was sitting downstairs, not far from the security,” a staffer told this newspaper.
When Kaieteur News visited the scene yesterday, detectives were there taking statements from workers and trying to lift fingerprints from a canister. There are reports that the robbery might have been an inside job, but this is yet to be confirmed.
According to information received, one of the bandits went into the cashier’s cubicle and when questioned as to why he was there, he (bandit) reportedly pulled out a gun and told everyone to be quiet.
“He (gunman) said this is a robbery and don’t make any noise. He had his gun in his hand and he went and collected the canister and he took out the money. He said that he mark our faces so if we say anything, he will see us on the road,” the staffer related.
After the men left, the terrified employees then raised an alarm, but by then the bandits had already escaped.
This newspaper was told that the money the men escaped with was what the cashier had collected from customers on Friday.
“The money was supposed to go to the bank but they didn’t have any money bag, so a staff went to collect bags from the bank.”
With the number of persons who visit the Lands and Surveys Commission daily, this newspaper was told that it is difficult to search everyone, but there is a sign at the entrance of the building stating that no weapon is allowed in the compound.
The company has no surveillance cameras.
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