Gunmen in car hold up shopkeepers

A young business couple was left traumatised last night after two gunmen in a car without number plates held them up in their store at Bel Air village, East Coast Demerara.

The men relieved Patrick Badal and his wife of $40,000 before escaping in an unmarked car.

Badal told Kaieteur News that he was with his four-year-old daughter sweeping outside his shop at around 19:45 hrs when a car without number plates stopped outside.

While one man remained in the car, the other two disembarked and began to walk towards the shop.

Badal immediately went behind the counter with his daughter and wife and shut the counter door.

Meanwhile, the men walked up to the counter and one of them asked for $60 in cigarettes and $20 in mints.

But, after he had served the man, the ‘customers' whipped out handguns, pointed them at Badal and told him to hand over all his money.

Badal said that he placed about $40,000 and some coins on the counter. After they were sure that he had nothing left, the men rejoined their accomplice in the car and drove away.

Tuesday 10-04-2005