By Mark DaCosta- A 37-year-old man is in police custody after being accused of staging a robbery to steal over $10 million that he was hired to transport across the country. Paramdeo Victor, a resident of Rosignol, Berbice, initially reported the robbery to the authorities, claiming that three armed men had held him up on the Mahaica Old Road and made off with the cash. However, following a detailed investigation, it was revealed that Victor’s story was fabricated, and he had orchestrated the entire scheme to steal the money for himself.
Victor, who had been hired by a jeweller to transport the large sum of money from a cambio on King Street, Georgetown, to a business in Rosignol, visited the Mahaica Police Station around 12:30 PM on November 6 to file a report of the alleged robbery. He told officers that, while driving the money along the Unity section of Mahaica Old Road, his car was forced off the road by another vehicle, and three armed men wearing ski masks and dark clothing emerged. According to Victor, the men held him at gunpoint and stole the cash.
However, police investigators quickly grew suspicious of Victor’s account. Upon further questioning, the inconsistencies in his story became apparent, prompting the officers to dig deeper. After an interrogation, Victor admitted to fabricating the robbery report. He confessed that no such attack had taken place and that he had stolen the $10,250,000 he was transporting.
In a bid to recover the stolen funds, Victor led officers to his car, where they discovered $2 million hidden in a compartment. He then revealed that the remaining amount was with an accomplice, whom he identified as Cornell Taylor, also known as ‘Rastaman’. The police subsequently tracked down the accomplice to Ithaca Village on the West Bank of Berbice, but Taylor himself was not located at the time of the search.
The police followed up on a lead and visited Victor’s home in Rosignol. There, they found an additional $6 million concealed inside a washing machine. The total sum recovered so far stands at $8 million, with a further $2.25 million still unaccounted for.
Authorities are now searching for Cornell Taylor, who is believed to have the remaining cash, and have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. Investigations are ongoing, and Victor remains in police custody as the case develops.
The arrest of Victor highlights repeated concerns about the safety of high-value cash transactions across the country, as evidenced by comments on this ongoing case on social media.
As this case unfolds, it clearly underscores the need for greater vigilance when handling large sums of money, particularly when transportation is involved. Additionally, Victor’s actions serve as a stark reminder of the potential risks associated with such financial transactions and the lengths to which some individuals may go to exploit trust for personal gain.
