Bandits shoot up Fyrish home, escape with $1M
By Shabna Ullah
Saturday, June 2nd 2007
Asgar Ali pointing to the louvre window that the bandits shattered

A family at Fyrish Village, Corentyne is still traumatized after three armed bandits entered the home around 8.10 pm on Thursday and carted off some $1 million.

Death-sentences-inactive  More robberies  Samantha Ganesh

The bandits fired three shots in the house, shattering some louvre panes and also fired several other shots in the air as they fled on foot.

Police said in a press release last night that they had recovered two 9mm and three .32 spent shells at the scene, along with one live 9mm round.

Asgar Ali, a butcher and shop owner, recounted that he had just returned from the masjid and was in his veranda listening to a "Quranic recitation" when he heard his daughter, Zally screaming, "Thief!" He said he immediately ran into the house and tried to lock the door behind him, with the help of his daughter. 

UNSOLVED crime

But a bandit, who had climbed up onto the veranda, raised the volume on the tape recorder and forced open the door. Zally said she fell in the process, but the bandit was distracted by her father and she got up and ran in the bedroom where she hid under the bed.

Ali said the bandit pointed a gun to his head and ordered him to open the front door.

At this stage, two more bandits entered with guns and started to demand money. One of the bandits placed a gun to Ali's head and compelled him to lie on the floor.

The men demanded money and he showed them a drawer where the money was kept.

He said the bandit who was pointing the gun at him stretched his hand and pulled out the money which was in a black plastic bag in the drawer. They then demanded more money and when Ali said he did not have more one of them said, "Shoot the man and kill him."

But Ali said he pleaded with them. "Ah tell them to search the house and tek what they want and ah beg them not to hurt anyone," he said.

By this time, two of the bandits had placed his wife Jaitoon and their five-year-old granddaughter to lie on the floor and were pointing guns to their heads.

Jaitoon told Stabroek News she was performing prayers in a bedroom when she heard the commotion and ran out to investigate.

She said the men asked for gold and searched the house but did not find any.

She related that they had recently sold all their gold jewellery to rebuild their house. The woman said the bandits fired shots in the house and in the air as they were escaping.

A relative who lives two doors away said he saw the strange-looking men on the street close to Ali's house for a while and he attempted to go and alert him. At the same time the bandits, one of whom was dressed in black, entered the yard. He said he immediately turned back and started hollering, "Thief! Thief!"