Bandits hit two bars in 30 minutes

ARMED bandits, within the space of 30 minutes on Monday night, struck at two bars along San Francique Road, Penal, making off with over $12,000 in cash, jewelry and other personal items. Investigators believe one gang of bandits was responsible for the two robberies. In the first incident, which occurred around 9 pm, San Francique resident Ronnie Ramkarran, 29, was liming at Midway Bar when four armed bandits stormed the place. Police sources told Newsday, Ramkarran was apparently the focus of the bandits’ attention since they went to him and ordered him to hand over his jewelry, valued at around $9,860. The bandits then ran out of the bar, without robbing anyone else. Before 10 pm, four armed bandits announced a hold-up at Secret Stone Bar at Timital Junction, a short distance from Midway Bar. They held up Trinmar engineer Vijay Ramnarine, 29, of Lachoos Road. Ramnarine’s cell phone valued $2,000, a pager, a calculator and $120 cash were stolen by the bandits who escaped on foot. A report was made by the victims to the Penal police station and PCs Baptiste and Haynes are investigating the matters.