Two bandits were shot dead and another escaped Tuesday night during a robbery attempt at a Chinese supermarket on Hadfield Street, Georgetown.
Dead are: Orwin Garraway, 22 of East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown and Tyrese Adams of Pineapple Street, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
The bandits stormed the establishment and held up two of the cashiers. However, they faced stiff resistance from the Chinese staff before the security guard of the supermarket confronted them. He shot one of them as he attempted to escape through the door and fired several shots on another just as he was released by one of the cashiers who had held on to him. During this time, the third bandit bolted out of the supermarket. Police said that they are investigating the matter.
In recent times, bandits have targeted Chinese supermarkets across the country and have for most escaped. Reports issued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and reported by Kaieteur News revealed that between October 2024 and March 2025, seven armed robberies took place at Chinese-owned businesses across Guyana, resulting in the theft of millions.
These incidents, which have primarily occurred in Georgetown and East Bank Demerara (EBD), indicate a rising trend of violent crime targeting the Chinese businesses, although most of the supermarkets are outfitted with CCTV cameras and armed security guards. The robberies have mostly been concentrated in areas like South Ruimveldt, Cummings Lodge, Soescute butch, and Great Diamond. The first major robbery in this series took place on October 21, 2024, at Chao Hui Supermarket in Providence, EBD where a Chinese businesswoman was robbed of $200,000. Two masked men, arriving on a motorcycle, held a security guard at gunpoint before demanding the cash from the businesswoman. They escaped from the scene.
On October 25, 2024, An Sheng Supermarket on the Soescute butch-Linden Highway was targeted by armed robbers who stole $500,000, $150,000 in phone cards, and three bottles of Hennessy. One suspect, Jason Howard, was arrested, but two accomplices remain at large.
In South Ruimveldt, a robbery occurred on December 1, 2024, at Kang Chinese Supermarket. Two gunmen disarmed the security guard and stole an undisclosed amount of cash. They fled the scene on a motorcycle, and the investigation is ongoing. Soescute butch, another area that has seen repeated robberies, was the site of an armed heist on December 18, 2024, at C&H Supermarket. Two gunmen threatened staff and customers, stealing cash and valuables. Orlando Scott, one of the suspects, confessed after his arrest, but the second accomplice is still at large.
On December 31, 2024, a Chinese-owned restaurant in Sophia was targeted, resulting in a 21-year-old bandit being shot dead by a security guard. One accomplice was captured, and a third suspect escaped. The trend continued into the new year, with a robbery on February 10, 2025, at Titan Supermarket in Cummings Lodge, where two armed robbers stole $30,000 in cash, during which Robert Massiah, a security guard, was shot.
The most recent robbery occurred on March 29, 2025, at Great Diamond, EBD, where two armed robbers targeted Qing Yi Cue and Xian Cheng Xie, Chinese nationals running a supermarket. The suspects made off with over $1.1 million, including $200,000 in phone cards and an iPhone 12 Pro Max. The robbers forced the security guard to the ground before stealing the valuables and fleeing on foot. Investigations into this incident are ongoing, and CCTV footage is being reviewed.
The total amount stolen across the seven incidents exceeds $2 million, and while some suspects have been arrested, investigations are still ongoing in all cases. Police are working to identify and apprehend the remaining suspects.
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