City Council had guards posted at Stabroek Market during multimillion $$$ Jewellery heist

Jul 06, 2018 News

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— M&CC probing robbery

The City Constabulary Department under the Georgetown Mayor and City Council,(M&CC) had at least five security personnel on duty at the Stabroek Market, on the night thieves carted off close to $100 million worth of merchandise from popular jewellers, L.Seepersaud Maraj and Sons.
Head of the Department, Chief Constable, Andrew Foo, made this disclosure during a meeting with members of the press at City Hall, yesterday.
The incident has now pushed the City Council to improve its security system.
“I can tell you now that one of the things we would be putting in place very soon is a system that will allow for CCTV and other monitoring devices in and around all of our municipal markets,” said Chief Constable Andrew Foo, yesterday.
The popular jewellery stall located at the centre gate of the Stabroek Market was broken into over the long holiday weekend.
According to reports, bandits torched a vault in the stall and carted off some $90 million in gold and diamond jewellery.
During a Press Conference yesterday, it was revealed that the City Constabulary officers were on patrol of the area, at the time of the robbery.
The Chief Constable told reporters that the officers, who perform duties at the Stabroek Market work on a shift schedule.
“On each shift, there are a supervisor and at least four to five other ranks on duty, conducting checks around the market,” he said.

REGRETTABLE
Foo noted that the incident is regrettable since the jewellers are long-term tenants of Stabroek Market—they have been in operation there for more than 82 years, he said.
The Chief Constable also explained that members of the Council met with the affected stallholders yesterday, where they expressed regret over the unfortunate incident.
He said, too, that Constabulary Department did not receive any official report from the owners. Foo noted that the Department received information about the breakage on Tuesday through unofficial sources about 9:30am, and visited the scene where we met detectives of the Guyana Police Force.
“The matter is in the hands of the police. The city constabulary department is cooperating with the police as well as conducting our own internal investigations.”
“I must say at this time, that this matter has not been reported at the City Constabulary, and even as I speak to you now, this matter has not been reported officially to the Constabulary,” he stressed.
He added however that the understanding of their role, and responsibility to law enforcement and security have activated the move to launch an investigation into this matter.
“As a result, we have been in contact with the Guyana Police Force as well as with MMC that provides security by way of an electronic system and related things to that, particular business in Stabroek Market.”
“We are doing all that we can to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

WELL ORCHESTRATED
Commenting on the manner in which the breakage occurred, the Chief Constable noted the robbery was well orchestrated.
“These are professionals, not persons who just walked off the road to conduct a robbery. So we know that this was not done by just anyone.”
Additionally, Foo told the media that usually “what happens is persons in the market would usually commit these crimes.”
“They would usually hide in the market just before closure and carry out the acts then leave as soon as the market opens up.
In those circumstances, once an early report is made, the constabulary will lock down the market and comb the area for the perpetrators.”
In the case of the L. Seepersaud Maraj breakage, this was not done.
Foo said that his Department was notified of the robbery some two hours after the discovery was made.
According to Foo, although five constabulary ranks were said to be on duty at the market on several shifts throughout the weekend, no one observed anything strange during that time.
He declined to comment on the possibility of negligence on the part on the constabulary, at this point.
He said that several members of the City Constabulary have already been questioned by the police.

MANPOWER NEEDED
At present, the Chief Constable told the media that there is need for more manpower as it relates to security personnel at the Department.
“We are working with all other departments of the Council to ensure that we have the requisite things to enhance our security operations at all of our municipal markets and other installations of the Council.”
“[Yesterday morning], the Deputy Mayor who is performing the duties of Mayor and I visited the businessman and spoke with him but we continue to be relentless in our pursuit to achieve good order and security but unless we have a free hand to bring order to that section of the city those, who are bent on criminal activities would seek cover there.
We continue to work with the National Police Force with joint patrols and special training to make local communities in the city safer.”
According to Foo, there is need for an increase in the number of patrols around Stabroek Market.
He noted that discussions are ongoing as it relates the way forward to protecting all of our assets.

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