Trio wanted by Police for multimillion-dollar gold heist

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The Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for the driver of the getaway car, and two other men who were caught on CCTV camera robbing the Wallison Enterprise at Gordon Street, Kitty, two Thursdays ago.

Wanted is Antonio Maraj also called “Pluckin” or “Thuggy” of Leopold Street, Georgetown; Agricola, Greater Georgetown and Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Maraj was one of the persons caught on the CCTV recording during the commissioning of the robbery.

In addition, Jamal Hazel, who was also caught on camera, is wanted by the Police for questioning in relation to robbery under arms. The 24-year-old is from Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, and is a former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

Finally, the Police are also hunting for the driver of the motorcar, Dequan King also called “Titus” or “Quanie” of Lot 20 D Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

On Tuesday, 36-year-old Delroy “Bug” Jackson and Peon Lee also known as “Nino Brown”, both security officers attached to the business, and 32-year-old Keyon King, a serving GDF Sergeant, were arraigned for the multimillion-dollar robbery committed on Wallison’s Enterprise. Jackson and Lee are former army members.

They appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where the charges were read to them by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

Police stated that on Thursday, August 5, 2021, while being armed with guns and in the company of each other, they robbed Francis Santos Lumes of 60 ounces of raw gold valued at $20 million and $38 million in cash.

In addition, Police stated that they robbed Fernanda Carmicheal of a cell phone valued $350,000. Further, it is alleged that the men robbed Francis Santos Lumes of a gold chain valued at 140,000, a gold ring valued at $60,000, and $14,000.

Finally, they were accused of robbing William Da Silva of a cell phone valued $60,000. The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded to prison and the case will continue on August 24.

The three men had confessed to robbing the gold establishment on Thursday last of a quantity of gold valued $20 million and $38 million in cash. In addition, they escaped with several high-end mobile phones belonging to staff members who were bound and gagged during the robbery.

It was reported that on the day in question at about 10:00h, three armed men went to the Lot 23 Gordon Street business and indicated that they had gold to sell. However, within minutes of entering the establishment, they held several staff members at gunpoint and demanded that they open three safes where the money and gold were secured.

After committing the robbery, the armed men bound and gagged the cashier and two other staff after which they locked them in a room. Moments after escaping in white motor car, the cashier managed to free herself and raise an alarm.

The Police were called in and immediately one of the two security guards was arrested. Based on intelligence and information received, the detectives went to a house in B Field Sophia where they conducted a search and found some personal items belonging to the owner of the business. There, another security guard was taken into custody.

The security guards were, however, interrogated during which one of them confessed to being part of the plot to rob the establishment.

Following leads, the detectives turned up at the home of the GDF Sergeant at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), where a search was conducted in the house but nothing substantial was found.

Nevertheless, during a search in the yard, the detectives noticed a disturbed piece of land and decided to dig. It was then a bucket was found buried, which, when checked, contained $15 million in $5000 notes and an additional $3 million in $1000 notes.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Police found the car that was used in the robbery parked in front of the driver’s home at Lot 435 Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara. It was later revealed that the driver had eft for the interior.

Neighbours have since told Police that prior to leaving, the driver took home a canter load full of household items, which were purchased the day after the robbery.

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