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Businessman, family cheat death by hiding in altar room
several guns, large quantity of raw gold taken
It was clear that Sundayâ€ââ€Â¢s blitzkrieg on Bartica by heavily armed gunmen was intended to murder and rob, residents of that Region 7 area say.
From the time the attack was launched, after 21:45 hrs when Guyanese were glued to their television sets watching Guyanaâ€ââ€Â¢s thrilling match-up with Antigua in the Stanford 20/20, it was evident that the gunmen had only one thing in their minds: bloody mayhem.
And it was clear that the entire assault was well planned, both in terms of logistics and timing. Yesterday, the shock was still on the faces of Barticians as they stood on the streets recounting the murderous rampage which left 12 people dead and two in the hospital. At the two business places robbed, where the gunmen seemed to have been focused on all along, the bullet holes, a wrecked car and broken windows told the tale.
After attacking the Bartica Police Station, some of the gunmen went south down First Avenue, shooting and killing several persons before turning their attention to the CB&R Mining Enterprise owned by Chunilall Babulall, called “Vultureâ€ÂÂ.
There, they took security guard Orvin Ferreira, 72, entered the premises and broke down the outer office door. In the office, the gunmen placed Ferreira on a freezer and executed him by firing a shot in his head before letting off a few rounds at the security camera, damaging it beyond repair.
The men then smashed their way into an inner office, where they took two safes. A third safe was opened, and according to the manager, Ganga Persaud, 11 guns, including shotguns and three handguns, were taken. A large quantity of ammunition was also taken away. Babulall was unable to speak much yesterday and was in a state of shock. According to officials of the company, the guns and ammunition were allocated to the security service for Babulallâ€ââ€Â¢s mining establishment.
Taking the security tapes of CB&Râ€ââ€Â¢s cameras, the gunmen then went a little further down the road to gold dealer Gurudat “Mangoman†Singh, where after firing several shots at the home, shattering windows, the men entered the yard, and using a large sledge hammer  later confiscated by police  smashed open the vent blocks of a concrete wall. From there the men entered the home and methodically ransacked it.
According to Singh, hearing the noises of the men breaking into his home, he took his wife and daughter to hide in an altar room. The gunmen passed the little prayer cubicle several times but were not aware that the businessman was hiding there.
“I canâ€ââ€Â¢t even begin to tell you what it was like. One of the men asked for a torchlight, and then another said for them to leave. If they had found us, we would have all been dead,†said Singh, breaking down in tears. The businessman disclosed that the men escaped with two attaché cases with personal documents, including house papers and birth certificates.
According to Singh, the attack on his familyâ€ââ€Â¢s home is the last straw, and with his relatives abroad, he is prepared to just “book†his ticket and leave Guyana.
The man would not confirm how much gold was taken.
Yesterday, official sources said that several issues are being examined, including the fact that the men were able to manoeuvre a boat in the dangerous Essequibo River at night when the water was rough. That apart, the menâ€ââ€Â¢s familiarity with the operations of the businesses strongly indicate that someone had provided the gunmen with information known only to the employees of the businesses, or to a resident of Bartica.
several guns, large quantity of raw gold taken
It was clear that Sundayâ€ââ€Â¢s blitzkrieg on Bartica by heavily armed gunmen was intended to murder and rob, residents of that Region 7 area say.
From the time the attack was launched, after 21:45 hrs when Guyanese were glued to their television sets watching Guyanaâ€ââ€Â¢s thrilling match-up with Antigua in the Stanford 20/20, it was evident that the gunmen had only one thing in their minds: bloody mayhem.
And it was clear that the entire assault was well planned, both in terms of logistics and timing. Yesterday, the shock was still on the faces of Barticians as they stood on the streets recounting the murderous rampage which left 12 people dead and two in the hospital. At the two business places robbed, where the gunmen seemed to have been focused on all along, the bullet holes, a wrecked car and broken windows told the tale.
After attacking the Bartica Police Station, some of the gunmen went south down First Avenue, shooting and killing several persons before turning their attention to the CB&R Mining Enterprise owned by Chunilall Babulall, called “Vultureâ€ÂÂ.
There, they took security guard Orvin Ferreira, 72, entered the premises and broke down the outer office door. In the office, the gunmen placed Ferreira on a freezer and executed him by firing a shot in his head before letting off a few rounds at the security camera, damaging it beyond repair.
The men then smashed their way into an inner office, where they took two safes. A third safe was opened, and according to the manager, Ganga Persaud, 11 guns, including shotguns and three handguns, were taken. A large quantity of ammunition was also taken away. Babulall was unable to speak much yesterday and was in a state of shock. According to officials of the company, the guns and ammunition were allocated to the security service for Babulallâ€ââ€Â¢s mining establishment.
Taking the security tapes of CB&Râ€ââ€Â¢s cameras, the gunmen then went a little further down the road to gold dealer Gurudat “Mangoman†Singh, where after firing several shots at the home, shattering windows, the men entered the yard, and using a large sledge hammer  later confiscated by police  smashed open the vent blocks of a concrete wall. From there the men entered the home and methodically ransacked it.
According to Singh, hearing the noises of the men breaking into his home, he took his wife and daughter to hide in an altar room. The gunmen passed the little prayer cubicle several times but were not aware that the businessman was hiding there.
“I canâ€ââ€Â¢t even begin to tell you what it was like. One of the men asked for a torchlight, and then another said for them to leave. If they had found us, we would have all been dead,†said Singh, breaking down in tears. The businessman disclosed that the men escaped with two attaché cases with personal documents, including house papers and birth certificates.
According to Singh, the attack on his familyâ€ââ€Â¢s home is the last straw, and with his relatives abroad, he is prepared to just “book†his ticket and leave Guyana.
The man would not confirm how much gold was taken.
Yesterday, official sources said that several issues are being examined, including the fact that the men were able to manoeuvre a boat in the dangerous Essequibo River at night when the water was rough. That apart, the menâ€ââ€Â¢s familiarity with the operations of the businesses strongly indicate that someone had provided the gunmen with information known only to the employees of the businesses, or to a resident of Bartica.
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