Bandits stage $2.5 million robbery at jewel store

Five bandits, including a woman, staged a daring daylight robbery at Zina’s Jewelry Store at Price Plaza, Chaguanas, and escaped with jewelry valued $2.5 million.

Reports revealed that around 11.30 am yesterday,  a man and a woman entered the store and held up security guard Nicholas Punette, 40, of Advance Security Company. The two robbed Punette of his wallet containing $30 and his Smith and Wesson revolver as well as 12 rounds of ammunition. Minutes later, three other bandits entered the store and ordered four employees to lie on the floor. The five bandits then began robbing the jewelry store of a quantity of jewelry including diamond rings, bracelets and other pieces of expensive jewelry. The five then escaped in a waiting car.

Officers of the Chaguanas police station were contacted and Inspector Burt Raphael, Sgt Dennis Housend and Ag Sgt Ajith Persad, along with fingerprint officers, went to the scene. A man was detained for questioning on the armed robbery.The owner of the jewelry store Zina and Omardath Ram were informed of the robbery and they later went to the scene. An eyewitness to the robbery gave a description of the vehicle used by the bandits to escape, and an All Points Bulletin was sent out to all police divisions to be on the lookout for the vehicle.Between last week and yesterday, three jewelry shops in Central were held up and robbed.Late yesterday, a car was recovered in Mt Hope and  jewelry and firearms were recovered. Ag Sgt Persad is investigating.