An overseas-based Guyanese, who returned to marry his sweetheart, may have had all of his wedding plans go through the window after armed bandits attacked the Corentyne home in which he was staying and escaped with US$2,700 and jewellery valued $274,000 along with a camera and a wristwatch.

Stabroek News understands that the man was not at home when the robbery occurred at the Maida, Corentyne home at around 2.30 am on Monday.

A police release said that enquiries have revealed that seven family members, three of whom were males, were under a house when they were confronted by four masked bandits armed with guns.

Two of the bandits took three of the women upstairs into the house and demanded cash and jewellery, while the other two bandits stood guard over the other four family members.

The police are investigating.

This robbery follows a spate of such incidents occurring on the Corentyne coast in recent months.

It was during this month on May 9 that two armed men robbed a Number Two Village family man of $40,000. The day before, a family at Number 58 Village suffered the same fate when three armed bandits robbed them.

Prior to that on April 28

, a businesswoman and her grandmother were robbed by three armed men at Hampshire Squatting area. On April 27, 

the proprietor of a liquor restaurant and three customers were robbed by three armed men who abducted one of the customers in his car. He was subsequently released after the bandits robbed him. A businessman and his family were robbed in New Amsterdam of some $13,000 in cash and jewellery on April 26 by two armed men.

 On April 17, three armed men robbed a supermarket owner, his family and several customers at Cumberland Village, East Canje. 

While on March 22, three armed men robbed a Corriverton businessman and his family of an estimated $10 million in cash and jewellery.

In a recent interview with Stabroek News Commander of 'B' Division, Assistant Commissioner Ivelaw Whittaker said statistics have shown a slight increase in crime this year compared to the same period last year.

He said not many Berbicians are willing to provide information to the police about suspected criminals. However, he said that he recognised the problem of confidentiality existing between the police and the public, which could be a major contributing factor to the indifference exhibited.