A man who police arrested and handcuffed was able to flee in a police vehicle after he was allegedly caught red handed during a robbery at Super Value’s Carmichael Road warehouse, CEO Rupert Roberts said.
A police source who did not want to be named confirmed the incident, but said it was his understanding that police recovered the vehicle some time later.
However, the officer could not say where the vehicle was recovered and whether the suspect was located. Roberts, whose business has been plagued with copper thefts, said the robbery took place around 3:30 a.m.
“When the watchman saw him (the suspect) he was in the shipping truck,” he said.
“He cornered him and told him that if he came out of the truck, he was going to get shot.
“Then he fired off two shots to show him he was serious.
“Of course the thieves had gotten away with most of the robbery by then.
“But this poor guy got left behind.”
Roberts said the watchman called the police who showed up in a police truck.
He said police cuffed the suspect and placed him in the truck.
“The sargent who came to pick him up had him cuffed and left him and he took the truck and took off,” he said.
“They watched him drive off and shot at him.”
Roberts said he lost over $40,000 worth of copper as a result of the theft.
“They are still stealing copper with a vengeance,” he lamented.
In addition to the copper, the thieves also stole fuel and parts from three of the generators at the Carmichael Road warehouse, Roberts said.
At a press conference in March, Roberts said his food store chain lost $1 million over the last five years as a result of copper theft.
He told The Guardian last week that since he held that press conference, his businesses were no longer being robbed.
However, since the government foreshadowed a temporary ban on copper exports a week ago, Roberts said he has been robbed three times.
“The first night, four nights ago, they hit the fuel tanks at the (Carmichael Road) warehouse,” he said.
“They didn’t carry the fuel that night because they were interrupted by the watchman.
“The second night they came and stole the fuel.
“They came in with cutters and they stole six or eight batteries from the generators and vehicles from around the yard.”
In the House of Assembly last week, Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage called for the closure of all cash for gold businesses and a temporary ban on copper exports.
By Travis Cartwright-Carroll
Guardian Staff Reporter
