Latest update September 11th, 2026 10:10 AM
Mar 20, 2018 News
A Cornelia Ida woman was on Wednesday robbed of $500,000 and her handbag containing important documents. She was followed by two men after she left the bank in Vreed-en-Hoop.
Shamini Persaud said she left her home early Wednesday morning to conduct business in Vreed-en-Hoop.
She told Kaieteur News that she visited Republic Bank and the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) to request bank statements, which she said would have been used to conduct business in Georgetown later that day.
Persaud said that after spending 15 minutes in Republic Bank, she walked over to GBTI where she spent an additional 20 minutes.
After exiting the bank, Persaud said she walked a few blocks from GBTI before she decided to call a taxi to take her home because she did not drive that day.
Persaud said around 11:36am, as soon as the taxi stopped in front her home, two men riding a CG motorcycle pulled up next to the car she was in.
She said one of the men opened the car door, placed a gun to her head and demanded she give him her bag.
The distraught woman said she quickly gave her bag to the man but pleaded for him give her the important documents.
“I pleaded for them to give me my two sons’ passports because they are American citizens and have American passports,” she said
She said her bag contained $500,000 along with four passports belonging to Persaud, her husband and her two sons; she and her husband’s driver’s licences; business registration; vehicle registration; identification cards and other important documents.
After taking her belongings, Persaud said the bandits took the driver’s car key and cell phone before riding away.
She said her neighbour also witnessed the ordeal and called the police.
According to Persaud, the police responded quickly and roadblocks were set up.
She said the entire ordeal was caught on surveillance camera and the recording is now in the hands of the police at the Leonora Police Station where the matter was reported.
Persaud said she and her family were planning to travel next month, and for that reason she carried her family members’ passports and the $500,000.
“This thing happened within seconds,” she said.
The traumatised woman said she is afraid that the bandits would return to her home because of the information they have, which has a lot of information on her family.
The robbery is being investigated.
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