Terror reigned on the East Coast Demerara during the funeral procession of notorious fugitive Andrew Douglas on Friday, as bands of gun-toting teens rampaged through the villages of Annandale and Strathspey.
Stabroek News understands that at about 5:00 pm on Friday, some 30 to 40 young men who residents said appeared to be not more than 17 years old, attacked a number of persons in Sand Reef, Annandale, robbing them of various valuables.
Police in a release issued yesterday said that a report of the robberies had prompted an investigation and the immediate dispatch of ranks from the police's Riot Squad who reported seeing none of the criminal elements.
When this newspaper visited the area yesterday, police were patrolling the community. Groups of males from the village congregated at intersections discussing the events. Tension was evident as clearly the incidents had rattled the mainly fishing community as a result of their suddenness and the relative ease with which the perpetrators had managed to escape.
The parent of a victim who preferred to remain anonymous said that her sons were on their way to capture birds near the seashore when they were attacked and robbed. According to the woman, two youngsters armed with handguns, robbed one of her sons of $700 and a wristwatch which he had in his pants pocket after stopping him demanding money. Another boy with him had his trousers pulled down as the robbers searched him. Another boy in the group managed to flee to safety.
At the home of Moneshwarie Dayal at Lot 60 Sand Reef Street, Annandale, a group of youths had invaded the premises demanding cash and jewellery as she and her children relaxed in the yard.
Relating the events of the previous day, Dayal said, that several young men armed with guns, had apparently crossed the sideline trench via a makeshift bridge and jumped over her gate, which was locked at the time. Training their weapons on them, one member of the group after ordering them not to move began requesting items of value. The others, about ten in number, surrounded her 14-year-old daughter who was seated in a hammock and began stripping her of silver and gold jewellery.
The girl quickly offered to remove the jewellery as attempts were made to get into her bosom and trousers. Following appeals by her mother and a member of the group not to harass her she was spared further physical harm. The gang left after Dayal retrieved jewellery and cash from her home and handed these over. They left exactly the way they had arrived, over the gate and makeshift bridge across the sideline. Among the items taken were various items of gold jewellery and cash said to be her husband's child support and market money.
Simultaneously at 120 Gale Street, another home was invaded and demands for money and jewellery made.
A mechanic, Rainnarance, called 'Shook' was hit on the head with a chopper as a group of 11 youths stormed his premises.
Rainnarance said that his neighbours shouted to him to lock up as a gang was on the attack. As he was about to do so, a gun was pointed at him with an order not to move.
His wife who was on the stairs of their home managed to retreat and conceal herself. He received a lash on the left side of his forehead as demands for cash and jewellery were made. Some of them kept him at the bottom of the stairs while about five armed youths ransacked his home, before leaving with a compact disc player, a VCR and an amplifier. The mechanic was spared further punishment after he told them: "Me nah live yah."
Rainnarance said that the entire episode lasted about two to three minutes and may have been hurried up after a neighbour sounded an alarm making the gang believe that the police were on their way.
Police arrived on the scene some 30 minutes after the gang had fled east into the neighbouring village of Buxton across the sideline trench.
Another resident of Gale street was also robbed of an undisclosed sum of cash after being roughed up by members of the gang.
As word got around that the gangs were attacking persons indiscriminately, some residents who had gone over to Buxton or were on their way there to fetch water since their community had been without water for the past week, ran for cover. Residents said that the youths may have congregated at a small shack just across the sideline trench in Buxton, which is visible from their village, before they launched the attacks.
Meanwhile, the police release listed a series of violent occurrences perpetrated against persons traversing the Buxton area during Douglas's funeral.
Among the incidents were those of a driver from Lusig-nan, ECD, being attacked by a group of persons while driving a Canter GDD 5508 along the Buxton public road. The vehicle was pelted with missiles, resulting in damage to the front windscreen and injuries to the driver's left hand.
Similar injuries were suffered by a salesman and porter of the International Pharmaceutical Agency whose vehicle was pounced upon. Damage was done to its front and rear windscreens, side glass, and the front and rear lights. The men were also robbed of $30,000 of the company's money and $5,000 of their own.
Other criminal activities listed in the release included ten armed men attacking and robbing a taxi driver of Good Hope on Church of God road, stealing a cell phone worth $30,000, a wristwatch valued $5,000 and $5,000. The car was also taken and driven away after the driver abandoned it in fear. It was later recovered extremely damaged from a trench over the railway embankment road.
A husband and wife of Triumph, ECD, travelling in a truck GEE 3247 were also attacked and robbed by a gang of men on the Buxton public road. They were relieved of some $84,000, a gold ring valued $14,000 and assaulted in the process, resulting in the husband receiving injuries to his left eye and wife to her face.
Also attacked were a 53-year-old truck driver of Victor Street, Lodge whose vehicle received damage to its front windshield when shots were fired and a driver of Vigilance South driving minibus BEE 6090 on the Friendship public road, who was beaten about the body and his vehicle's windscreen damaged.
Passengers of minibuses were also not spared the wrath of criminal attacks, with a Coldingen resident and some residents of Manchester, Corentyne, being relieved of items including cash and jewellery.
According to the release, the police believe that the criminal acts were planned by the marauding gangs.
Arrangements for Douglas' funeral, the police said, included an advisory to drivers and commuters along with the dispatch of a Riot unit and three police anti crime patrols. Roadblocks were established at both extremes of Buxton to prevent gangs that normally congregate on these occasions from attacking innocent persons.
Some drivers, the release added, chose circuitous routes to avoid police roadblocks, while some commuters disembarked vehicles and walked through Buxton despite being advised against this.
Police, the release added, were forced to fire tear smoke and shotgun pellets to ward off the marauding gangs thus preventing further escalation of incidents.
The village of Strathsphey also experienced some spin off of the mayhem with similar bands of youths charging through the area robbing persons indiscriminately.