Guns and cars stolen, Lotto booth robbed

POLICE in the western peninsula were kept busy Monday night, following a crime spree in which two loaded pistols were stolen, one from a security guard and the other from a businessman, while a Lotto booth was robbed and five cars stolen.

Up to late yesterday, no arrests had been and the firearms had not been recovered. In one incident, five men entered the Highland Plaza Pharmacy and announced a robbery. The armed men relieved a female Amalgamated Security Services guard of her Glock nine-millimetre semi-automatic pistol which was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition. They also robbed a female customer of cash and jewelry before leaving the pharmacy. The bandits later held up the operator of a Lotto booth located near the pharmacy and made off with $6,000 in cash. They escaped in a waiting car.

In another incident, Paul De Silva, 45, was on duty at his garage located off Branch Road, La Horquette, Glencoe, at around 9 pm when a car pulled up with four men, one of whom asked to have the vehicle repaired. The men turned on De Silva, beating him about his body. As the businessman drew his licensed Glock nine-millimetre pistol in an attempt to defend himself, the four men knocked him to the ground and relieved him of the firearm plus two loaded ammunition magazines with 30 rounds of ammunition. The men escaped and De Silva telephoned police. The bleeding, semi-conscious man was taken to Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was treated for a suspected concussion and warded in stable condition.

Visiting the scene of the three robberies were officers co-ordinated by Snr Supt Selwyn Glasgow, led by Insp Roland Thomas and including Sgt Stephen Ramsubhag, Cpl John Lopez, PCs David Watson and Raymond Wallace. They cordoned off several streets near Highland Plaza and carried out roadblocks. However, the bandits were not found. Four Roads police are investigating these robberies. Also occurring on Monday night, were theft of five cars, which were stolen in separate incidents. Investigators have since issued an All Point Bulletin (APB) advising all police stations to be on the lookout for the stolen vehicles.