Businessman who captured bandit: 'We were tired of being the victim'

AN Aranguez businessman says he and his brother were driven by sheer anger and frustration to take matters into their own hands and capture one of the men who robbed them.

On Wednesday, brothers Brandon and Ashmeer Karim chased and captured a bandit who stole $20,000 in cash from their van while they visited a hardware store in Aranguez.

Several videos of the chase were circulated on social media less than an hour before the suspect was captured as people praised their bravery.

Karim, who is involved in construction and the security-camera business, told Newsday on Thursday it was a difficult time for his businesses, and he was angered by the robbery.

"Just the day before this happened, my brother and I were speaking about how difficult things were getting for our businesses, and we were even considering closing one of them to remain afloat – and then this came and happened.

"I am working too hard and paying too much loans to have to be going through this. We work too hard for people to just come and take the little that we have from us. The little money you making, they want to come and rob you."

Karim said this was not their first brush with criminals, as his brother also had another $20,000 stolen from his van while it was parked at UWI's St Augustine carpark in 2019.

While he acknowledged there were risks in confronting a bandit, he urged people to be vigilant of their surroundings and stand up for themselves when possible.

"Yesterday what we did wasn't that safe, because they had a firearm, but we were frustrated with being the victim all the time.

"You just have to be safe and you have to fight for what you have sometimes. Thank God my brother and I are safe, because this whole situation could have ended another way.

"We just want the public to be aware of their surroundings, I never thought that in ten minutes' time this would have happened, but it did."

He said while subduing the man, he noticed the licence plate on his car was slightly crooked, and later realised it was covered with a fake licence plate.

Criminals are "very resourceful and creative when they want to be," he said.

"When we tied up the guy we even heard the other bandits over the phone asking the man if he found where we were.

"I feel this is part of a larger network of bandits, because we visited the Valsayn branch of Republic Bank before he broke into our van and they were monitoring us from since we left that bank."

Recalling his thoughts after realising he had been robbed, Karim said he and his brother were determined to find the person who robbed them.

Karim said when they eventually subdued the suspect, he admitted to stealing the cash, and promised to return it and fix their broken van window if they released him.

Karim said he was happy about the quick response of the police in coming to their aid, he wanted the waiting period for firearm user's licences (FULs) to be shortened.

He also thanked the public for their support and concern for his and his brother's safety.

Contacted for comment, Snr Supt Winston Maharaj of the North Eastern Division said civilians should only take action against criminals if their lives were in immediate danger, but should contact the police immediately.

"Confrontation with the criminal element is a dangerous, high-risk activity and it should only be in a case where you have to defend yourself or someone else. If a criminal is armed with a gun, I wouldn't advise anyone to confront that person.

"I would encourage people to have a direct link with the respective station district, or, if it's a community watch, there will be a liaison officer available to guide them."

On criminals possibly targeting people as they leave banks and other financial institutions, Maharaj urged the public to be aware of their surroundings and avoid making unnecessary stops.

"Awareness is key in situations like that. Choose the time of day you visit the bank and look around to see what is happening.

"Where possible try and switch to alternative banking methods like online banking.

"But there may also be cases where you need cash in hand. If you have to make a significant withdrawal, try and engage the assistance of the police."

Maharaj also suggested people should avoid leaving valuables and large amounts of cash in their vehicles.