INVESTIGATORS in Berbice have detained four persons following an armed robbery committed on a family at Palmyra Village, East Canje Berbice on Wednesday at about 20:00h.The attack occurred as 45-year-old Nadira Permaul, her 23-year-old son Vijay and 58-year-old husband Tamessar Kissoon were relaxing in their concrete cottage, which is situated along the main thoroughfare. Kissoon got up from the hammock in the verandah and was going into the house when three men armed with handguns entered through the open door.

The gunmen demanded money and jewelry as they beat members of the family. Shortly afterwards, one of the bandits walked into the bedroom and removed a handbag which contained two cellular phones, an 18 carat diamond-and-gold ring, gold bangles, other gold rings, and in excess of $100,000 in cash.

The men then escaped through a neighbouring growth-infested plot of land, but Nadira Permaul, a vendor at the New Amsterdam market, raised an alarm, alerting her neighbours to the attack; and two police patrol teams which were manning the New Amsterdam and Canje districts responded within five minutes and arrested four persons in the Canje neighbourhood.

Investigations are continuing.