A suspected armed robbery on Chapel Street, Lodge, in Georgetown on Saturday afternoon ended with one man being shot and four others arrested after police tracked the suspects using Smart City surveillance cameras.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported that the incident occurred at about 15:03h.
According to the law enforcement agency, the victim, a Chinese national who was driving a minibus at the time, was proceeding along Chapel Street when his path was blocked by a black Toyota Auris motor car. Two motorcycles then pulled up, and the victim was allegedly held at gunpoint and relieved of a bag.
The suspects fled the scene, but police were able to trace their movements through the Smart City camera network.
Investigators said the motorcycles were later seen in James Street, Albouystown, where the suspects reportedly met up with the black Toyota Auris before heading into Bel Air, Georgetown.
Police ranks later intercepted the car in Eping Avenue, Bel Air. During the operation, one of the suspects, a 22-year-old man of ‘E’ Field, Sophia, allegedly pulled a firearm from his waist and pointed it at a police rank.
The officer responded by discharging a round, hitting the suspect in his left thigh.
He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was examined by a doctor and admitted as a patient under police guard. His condition was listed as stable.
The other suspects arrested are an 18-year-old man of Cooper Street, Albouystown; a 19-year-old man of Durban and Smyth Streets; a 26-year-old mason of Mango Lane, East Ruimveldt; and a 19-year-old man of Middle Road, La Penitence.
They were taken to the Ruimveldt Police Station, where they remain in custody.
Police said a Glock 17 pistol, along with three rounds of 9mm ammunition, was recovered during the operation. The Toyota Auris and the motorcycles believed to have been used in the robbery were also seized and lodged. Efforts are ongoing to contact the victim as investigations continue.
