Latest update March 24th, 2025 7:05 AM
Bandits strike during blackout at Stabroek Market
Kaieteur News – While citizens across Guyana were gravely affected by the frequent power outages Monday night, bandits struck at the Stabroek Market.
The Stabroek Demico House walkway, where many late-night robberies occur
All around the city at around 20:50hrs citizens were scurrying to their homes, dreading the dangers that may lurk at every corner. Many were not prepared for a small band of bandits who decided to use the ‘black outs’ to their best advantage, pouncing on unsuspecting passersby, hurrying to their homes.
Though the Stabroek Market block was very dark in many areas, dim lights flickered from the stalls of just a few bold vendors, who still dared to stay out and ply their trade. This allowed just enough lights for what seemed to be very experienced thieves to carry out their evil plans of robbing those passing.
They first struck at around 08:58 hrs on the barely lit Sophia Bus Park (in front of the Demico House Outlet) pouncing on unsuspecting school teacher Annette London, of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara.
Our reporter who was enroute to the Plaisance Bus Park was lucky to witness the incident, and noted that three young men (seemingly in their early twenties) were seen chatting on the park when a Kitty/Campbellville bus rolled into the park. He said, the teacher was the last to get off the bus.
Our reporter noted that the woman appeared to be rummaging through her handbag for something, and was distracted when two of the bandits struck. They both rushed up to the startled woman, and while one quickly relieved her of her handbag, they both ran off towards the Stabroek Market area.
Apparently shocked, the woman took a little while to fathom what had happened. When she came to her senses, she shouted, “Thief, thief”, twice, but by then, the men had disappeared. The stunned and weeping woman related that she had lost a cell phone, valued at GYD$32,000, GYD$16,000 in cash, a perfume set valued at GYD$8,000, and some important documents. She was helped by a public-spirited gentleman, who helped her with $1000 to get home.
What many did not realise is that the men just a short while ago, had robbed a Venezuelan male, 32 year-old Miguel De Santos who was making his way from the Linden Bus Park. He had stopped to urinate at a dismal spot close to the former ‘Dredge Shop Bar’ (around the Timehri Bus Park).
The man related that three men, (two of them with braided hair) had attacked him even as he was in the process of urinating. He said one choked him from behind, while the other two relieved him of a wrist watch, his cell phone, and a pure silver necklace he was wearing at the time.
While he could not seemingly estimate the value of the items, he did mention that the wrist watch was a borrowed item from a relative. A fearful woman, reluctantly related that it was the same men who had robbed the school teacher. After divulging this information, she quickly disappeared but mouthing, “Leh me get out ah hay, cause dem does come fuh yuh, when you playing a snitch”.
There are rumours that a third incident occurred at the eastern end of the Timehri Bus Park, at around 21:30 hrs, but sources said this time a man was robbed by two males, in the company of two female sex workers, but could not relate what items were stolen.
What was troubling was that no one attempted to render assistance to the victims, even though they were persons loitering in the vicinity of the crimes. It is not clear if the teacher reported the matter to the police at the Stabroek Outpost, but the Spanish man when advised to do so, shook his head sadly, saying, “Waste of time”.
Over the years, the Stabroek Market block has been notorious for criminal activities , but overtime it seemed to have simmered. However, with Monday night’s attacks, persons are of the view that the criminals are up to their old ways. Many expressed displeasure; there were no police officers patrolling the bus parks, even though there were ranks on duty at the Stabroek Outpost at the time.
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