Cashier held in probe
- no leads yet on bandits, vehicle

By Desiree Jodah
Stabroek News
January 12, 2000


Police have held a relief cashier of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) in connection with the daring early morning raid carried out on the entity by men armed with submachine-guns and grenades on Monday.

Up to press time yesterday, the car used by the bandits had not been found and a special investigative force assembled by the police is continuing its search for three men involved in the heist. A reward of $1M is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the men.

No shots were fired by the bandits who had ordered the cashier on duty to hand over $13 million in a safe. The robbery was committed on the Monday on which pensioners usually receive their monthly payments and was carried out in full view of some them. The men - at least one dressed to look like a pensioner - entered the NIS office with the guns and grenades concealed in bags.

Stabroek News understands that a relief cashier was held at her home yesterday morning and taken to Eve Leary for questioning in connection with the investigations. The woman was reportedly scheduled to work as a cashier yesterday. However, before she could report for work yesterday morning she was held by the cops.

The cashiers who were on duty at the time of the robbery were said to be traumatised and were given two days leave to recuperate.

Following concerns which had been raised by some pensioners about the lax procedures for persons entering the NIS compound, security was visibly tightened when this newspaper visited yesterday.

Police constabulary guards at the gate were checking bags of persons entering the compound. Inside, armed GEB guards kept watch. General Manager of the NIS, Patrick Martinborough said security has been bolstered and the GEB guards are on duty 24 hrs at the Brickdam and Camp Street locations. He said guard dogs would be used during the nights.

He added that other security arrangements will also be examined.

In answer to a query, Martinborough said it was normal for the money to be kept at the office during the weekend before the Monday when pensioners are to be paid. He said this is done to facilitate an early start to payments on the Monday.

A police source yesterday said that the infamous Linden London also known as `Blackie', Andrew Douglas and another wanted man by the name of `Mc Donald' are among suspects in the robbery because of the modus operandi in the NIS theft.

London and Douglas had eluded a joint services dragnet just over three months ago, when bandits in a chilling mid-morning attack on America Street led police in a chase to the canefields at the back of Mocha. One of the bandits was killed but not before they had covered their escape in withering gun fire, injuring several people in the process.

London known as `Blackie', who is wanted by the police, was believed to have planned and staged the daring America Street robbery of a cambio dealer along with three others.

The men who were cornered in the canefields escaped although the police with the help of the Guyana Defence Force had cordoned off the area.

Other police sources say it was unlikely that London was behind the NIS caper as there has been an intensive watch for him ever since the recent cambio robbery and it was unlikely that he would risk capture in another brazen operation in Georgetown. In the aftermath of the America Street cambio robbery, the police had made efforts to locate `Blackie' in the north west of Guyana and abroad.

A police press release on Monday said a man armed with a firearm and two grenades in a briefcase entered the NIS building and held up an accounts clerk who handed over an estimated $13M in cash.

According to the release, an alarm was raised and the police constabulary guard on duty outside responded but he was held up by an armed accomplice of the robbers. The two men, the police said, escaped in a waiting car PGG 6750 driven by a third man. Police said the registration number appears to be false.

A police source told Stabroek News the licence number is that of a different type of vehicle which is registered to a West Demerara resident.

Persons who may have information on the three men are asked to contact the police on telephone numbers; 56411, 67530, 61326, 53650, 66978, 67065, 72128, 69941, 52227, 51111, 62487 and 62488.


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