Kaneville on the East Bank of Demerara is under siege from bandits who have been carrying out nightly attacks in the community deprived of proper roads and electricity.

On Saturday night, close to one dozen persons, including the Chairman of the Citizens Group, Mohamed Ali, were robbed by gunmen. The two gunmen dodged a police patrol and fired several shots at alert residents.

The police say investigations are continuing into the robberies and ranks have been mobilised to conduct more frequent patrols.

"It is my opinion that Kaneville will soon become a village harbouring criminals. At present residents are living in fear...gunmen robbing us every night and nothing is being done," village activist Barbot Paul told Stabroek News yesterday.

He urged the government to enact stiffer laws to deal with gun crimes and at the same time speed up developmental works in the community.

The bandits on Saturday night robbed Ali and his household of some $70,000 in cash and $120,000 in gold jewellery. They also carted off five cellular phones and other articles in a ten-minute spree which saw them beating their victims.

Residents believe that the duo who carried out the attack on Ali was responsible for sticking-up several other persons afterwards, robbing them of gold jewellery and small amounts of cash. Two persons were also gun-butted and a man chased off his bicycle.

Bandits operating out of Kaneville have frequently attacked villagers and even surrounding communities.

Ali told Stabroek News that he and his household were home at around 7:35 on Saturday evening when the bandits attacked. According to Ali, who operates a grocery store in his yard, he had just taken a bath and gone upstairs when the bandits struck.

Ali said the bandits broke two paling staves from his fence and accosted his son Sheik Ali while he was drawing water from the pipe.

"Put down that bucket and come," one of the bandits ordered with a gun trained at the young man's head.

Sheik was led upstairs by the bandits who then commanded the rest of the household to lie face down on the floor.

Ali said the bandits gave them instructions before proceeding to ransack the house. "No noise, everybody stay quiet and don't say anything," Ali quoted one of the robbers as saying.

He said after this his wife and daughter were pulled up from the floor and they were held hostage as the bandits searched the house. The man's wife said the robbers took them into a bedroom where they raided the wardrobes, carting away the $70,000 which comprised earnings from Saturday's sales.

Shameer Mohammed points to the wound he received when the bandits struck him in the head with the guns

The bandits then asked for jewellery and this was handed to them.

Ali said after collecting the loot from his wife, the bandits returned outside and asked him for more. He said he almost got into an argument with one of them, but he was quickly reminded of who they were with a gun butt to his head.

Ali said he remained quiet throughout the rest of the ordeal, watching the robbers as they left the house and disappeared.

Stabroek News was told that following the attack on the Ali family, the bandits fled into the New Diamond Housing Scheme. Residents said the back of the scheme is ideal for criminals to hide out as it lacked electricity and was surrounded by bush. Ali said they made contact with the police at Grove Police Station, but ranks never arrived until after 10 pm. It was while the police were responding to the robbery that Sherman Burnette, a resident of the village on his way home encountered the two bandits.

Burnette said he saw the police vehicle driving into Kaneville around 10:30 pm. The man said he tried to take cover near the vehicle knowing the situation in the village. The vehicle however sped away and no sooner did it pass, the two bandits attacked him. Burnette told Stabroek News that he was assaulted by the gunmen who took away his wallet containing $3000, a gold chain and other personal items.

A woman known only as Babita was on her way home when the bandits attacked her too, stripping her of a gold ring and chain and $150 before lashing her on her head with a gun.

They moved further into a cross street at Samantha Point Grove and robbed several other persons, chasing a man off his bicycle and stripping persons of jewellery and small sums of cash. While all this was going on police were at the home of Ali investigating the robbery. Stabroek News was told that the bandits waited until the ranks left the scene and returned to that section of the village. They chased several women who were liming at a corner, robbed a man and his two sons and then fired off shots as they fled again into the New Diamond Housing Scheme.

Lamenting the frequency with which robberies were being committed in the village, Paul said something had to be done quickly. He said many persons were afraid to stay in their homes while others do not walk the streets after a certain hour. Paul said police should establish an outpost in the scheme and conduct frequent patrols.

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