The bandits in the process carted off in excess of $150,000; a .38 service revolver and six rounds of ammunition.

The four are suspected to be same bandits who hijacked a burgundy four-by-four vehicle along with its driver, Ms Janice Lord of East La Penitence and one of three employees she was transporting around 23:40 hours. Lord and her companions were also robbed of jewellery and an undisclosed sum of money.

The New Thriving Restaurant is located some two blocks away from the Brickdam Police Station, while the KFC outlet is a stone’s throw from the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Peter’s Hall.

According to a Police source, the rampage began earlier in the evening, when four men hired taxi HB 148 driven by C. Haywood of First Street, Agricola. They arranged to be transported to Campbellville.

It appears as if the bandits, who dumped Haywood into the trunk of his vehicle, drove it to the New Thriving Restaurant where they committed the robbery. They then travelled to Herstelling, where they abandoned it and then hijacked a white car.

The New Thriving Restaurant was reportedly attacked by four men travelling in a white car at around 22:15 hrs.

The bandits overpowered Lloyd Bacchus a security guard attached to the Professional Guard Service (PGS), relieving him of a .38 service revolver and six rounds of ammunition.

They also proceeded to rob Manager, Liu Gnosham of $40,000 and Sung Sei, a female cashier of $50,000 before discharging a round and making good their escape.

According to the source, the bandits journeyed to Herstelling, where they pounced on Rafeek Ghanie of Norton Street, Bagotstown. He was the driver of HA 8849, and at the time of the attack, he was waiting outside the home of some persons to transport them to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.

It was after the bandits had hijacked Ghanie’s vehicle and abandoned Haywood’s car, that Haywood flicked open the trunk and emerged to relate his fate.

The attack on the Bagotstown KFC outlet was reported to have occurred sometime before 23:00 hours. Four men arrived at the facility in a white car. Two of the men went inside as if to make a purchase.

They pointed a gun at the cashier and took away $6,000, and reportedly robbed a customer.

Then, around 23:00 hours, the bandits struck at the Two Brothers Gas Station, Eccles. It was reported that four men drove up in a white car and robbed a pump attendant of $40,000 in cash.

The incident involving Lord took place at around 23:40 hours on Freeman Street, East La Penitence, where she had stopped to drop off persons.

Lord and the other person in the vehicle were relieved of their jewellery and cash, and were then taken to Thomas Road, in the vicinity of the Queen’s College. They were put out of the vehicle and the bandits made good their escape.

The Sunday night hijacking and robbery spree came hot on the heels of the reported hijacking of six cars on Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning.

Police, who said all the vehicles were subsequently recovered, stated in a release that a Toyota Sprinter motorcar HA 9776 was hijacked from its driver or owner who hailed from West Coast Demerara, by three armed men as he was driving along Turning Point, Tucville.

The car was found abandoned at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt.

Another Toyota Sprinter motorcar HA 7020 was forcibly taken from its owner at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt and later found at William Street, Campbellville.

The owner of that vehicle is from James and Victoria Street, Albouystown.

A blue-green Toyota Marino motorcar PHH680 was hijacked at Garnett Street, Campbellville and later found abandoned at Norton Street, Lodge, while a Toyota Corona motorcar HA 9852 was hijacked from its owner at Rosa Drive, South Ruimveldt and later found abandoned at Garnett and Middleton Streets, Kitty.

Two silver-grey Toyota Carina motorcars PHH 2587 and HA 6273 were hijacked and found at Agricola on the East Bank and Rosa Drive, South Ruimveldt Park, respectively.