At sometime after 16:00hrs on Wednesday last, hire car operator Walter Sanmoogan of Lot 157 Section ‘B’ Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara departed the Lotto Office on Upper Robb Street, Georgetown in silver-coloured Toyota Premio HC 3247, taking an unidentified young female passenger to a destination in Durban Backlands, Georgetown.
But upon arrival at the destination, he reportedly was confronted by a man bearing a gun, and was left with no choice but to surrender his belongings, allowing himself to be stripped of his possessions and being forced to abandon his car.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Thursday, a heavily traumatised Sanmoogan recalled the shocking incident which has rendered him jobless. He said, “The guy told me to sit, and don’t move. He pat down my pockets, take out my money and cellphone, then he tell me, ‘Come out the car and run up the road’.”
The 60-year-old continued, “When I look back, the young lady and the guy jumped in the car and drive away; and that’s the last I saw of my car.”
In counting his losses, the taxi driver highlighted that his 4-year-old Toyota Premio is worth about $2.5M. Adding to that, he indicated that the hijackers also copped his Samsung Galaxy cellular phone and cash worth approximately $20,000.
Sanmoogan presented a faint description of the hijackers, stating that they were both of African descent, but the man was more of mixed race ancestry. He was, however, unable to properly identify the individuals, noting that his main focus was walking away alive.
“At that moment, all I was thinking about is my life being spared. I complied with whatever the guy say. When he told me to run, I run; because I know a lot of drivers who resist and are no longer here to talk about it. So I complied and I run,” the terrified taxi driver expressed.
Sanmoogan has filed a report at the East La Penitence Police Station, and is awaiting the outcome of investigations. However, given that his car is his only source of income, the man is calling on the public to report any sighting of his vehicle. Reports can be made to the taxi driver on telephone number 616-4816, or by contacting the nearest police station