Machete gang rob Tortuga
(CNS): The Tortuga Rum Company’s van was robbed at the North Sound Way location Thursday by men wielding machetes. The heist was reported to 911 at about 5:50 in the evening after the robbers had made off with an undisclosed sum of cash. The police said that a 62-year-old male employee of the company had arrived at the North Sound Way location from a Tortuga store at the Royal Watler in one of the vans. When he drove into the car park, a white Nissan Sunny drove in behind him. As he was about to get out, two men who were passengers in the Nissan approached him armed with machetes. The robbers threatened the Tortuga driver then demanded money.
They reached into the van and took a bag that police said contained a substantial amount of cash and made their escape in the white car. It is understood the bag contained the day’s takings from the cruise port shop after a busy day in port.
The driver of the Nissan remained in the vehicle during the heist but was described as having a light complexion. The two men who threatened the employee and grabbed the cash were described as dark skinned but they had their faces covered.
Despite the ordeal for the Tortuga driver, no one was physically injured.
Police said this week that they have been upping their visible patrols as a result of the growing number of robberies occurring at commercial premises and restaurants.
There is now a single incident room for these crimes and anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the robbery, or who may have information that could assist the investigators is asked to contact Detective Inspector Joseph Wright at 949-7710 of the Serious Crime Task Force or Crime Stoppers on 800 8477(TIPS).
Category: Crime
The softness of Cayman juries makes situations like this more likely.
I feel very sorry for the Press in these situations. They can only feed the trusting public with what they are told by the "trustworthy" police.
I wonder what really happened?
I can tell you what happend, axactly what you read in the article. satisfied?
And nobody though of writing down the tag of the car or following them carefully while calling the police.
Come on, this is rush hour time, they could not speed away that quickly.
Hey ..you sure it wasn't Jack and Tom Cruise in piratres costumes ???? lol lol
Remember when Cayman actually had police officers?? To name a few McArthur, Brown, Teddy, Mickey, King, Derrick Haines, and Scott Novak
We pay in price now.
No, sorry.
I thought cruise ship passengers didn't spend money.
We don't need police on every corner. We just need good old fashion policing like we had before. We had less police back then, and we also had less crimes. I say a Caymanian for Commissioner and get rid of the UK style policing. It just doesn't work here. When will you all see that?, and stop accepting BS excuses and statistics.
I say pull the pull the plug and come back in a few years when all the gang bangers have robbed each other and shot each other. Then start again properly.
Can't, then it will be their kids doing the crimes! Never ending cycle.
Yes, we need to take a lesson from Jamaica, they seem to have got it right.
Mac and his supporters are doing their best to turn us into Jamaica, it won't be long now before they do that. Thanks Mac.
Here we go again. Blame the expat. Yes why not adopt the Jamaican style of policing because that is so successful and look how low their crime rate is!
You also had less crime to deal with.
Population 50,000 including children and old people, 400 police. One police person for every hundred and twenty people. Lets assume that 49,400 are not gun toting robbers, we then only have 600 suspects therefore we only have 1.5 suspects per police officer. Go to the census and focus on the 600 suspects. Twenty per day in thirty days you would have questioned and fingerprinted the six hundred. I forgot to subtract the four hundred members in the force, that would leave Two Hundred suspects, so in 15 days crime wave over. But I dream.
U would think the robbers would get caught in 5 o'clock traffic. I smell fish!
There are not very many white Nissan Sunnys in Cayman. Pull over every single one you see and question the drivers/passengers. Simple.
The police need advanced training in hand to hand combat. Public you need to change the persons you speak with about your safty concerns.. Obviously they are not helpful. The thief you protect will not always protect you…
CCTV where are you?
Will only get worse. Sadly everyone asleep at the wheel !!!
The light complexion driver of the Nissan Sunny was probably Tom Cruise.
My family has been visiting your island for many years and we have always encouraged everyone we know to travel there because it is safe and wonderful. A few months ago we were on the island with our children and elderly parents when we were awoken at 11:30 pm by burglers entering the unit. We were supposed to be on the island for 4 weeks but left after 2 weeks and shortly after this incident. We will not be back and are cautioning everyone we know to pick another destination. It is so sad as you have a beautiful country and so many wonderful local people. However, we will not return until the country gains some control over the terrible spike in crime, and others will do the same. You are risking your entire tourist industry by not getting it under control. We are so thankful that no one in our family was hurt, but it is only a matter of time before someone is.
I guess police don't mind mocking and insults.They are thick skinned.
No matter how much the government assist residence/citizens, they never same to show appreciate for the little things that they do have. We live in a country where we don't have to pay taxes, which I think is a plus, and we live where others would think to vacation. The little things, the benefits that are surplus to other countries, people still do not simply understand that all they have to do is ask instead of taking. We are so small in size but with the growing population, wouldn't it be more simple to ask?
Of course we are sick and tired of criminals and we feel like police officers are not doing their job efficiently and effectively. It would take every other person from the total population of the island to be a police officer for crime to be eliminated completely because we do have some very slick crimes. But the point is, we can not control the minds of everyone, but we should rather embrace what we have before we set the blame on someone or something. You can not attend to someone before you attend to your self.
In all my years on this planet, I have never heard such a pathetic post in a public forum as this. Whoever you are, grow a pair and get and say something meaningful.
What an absolute load of bollocks. Can someone please interpret these ramblings and I'll reconsider my position?
13:27.Perhaps you should first interpret your next to last sentence for us ;what a load of rubbish.
How many white Sunny Nissans are on the island that are owned or were rented by someone of color(i.e. not a tourist family that is caucasian)? Does your boyfriend, son, brother, friend drive one? Did they just come home with money, but they do not have a job? Crime will not stop on this island until people start turning people in. At 5:50 in the evening, I would assume that someone saw something. I would also assume that someone knows something.
Bussiness people, and all law abiding residents need to be "encouraged" and trained to use the means to protect themselves, their families, their customers, their property (this should include guns!).
The criminals are already armed! So the time for talk about guns is long gone…
No guns in this holdup
Definitely not the work of Jack Nicholson.
A white nissan sunny is not hard to find on this rock I know of 2 and they are owned by bad minded people whom belong in jail
great, them call the police and tell them…. walk the talk pal.
And just days after the amendment to law on reducing life sentences in Prison – what did you think was going to happen, a REDUCTION in crime????? You SILLY people.
This is not a random event, must have been planned. How does the general public know that at 5:50pm, there is money coming to an establishment. Be careful with who you trust and the types of people that know of money transfers. Is it time to get an armed car that does deliveries of large amounts of cash.
Let's hope this is solved so we can get on and implement some proper safety procedures and stop this crime spree!
What is happening in Cayman now leave me to wonder if this place won't become worst than every country in the Caribbean soon.
It's a sad day in Cayman when you visit and the security guard knocks on your door to tell you not to leave anything laying around in your condo. To make sure that the safety locks on the sliding doors are up. They inform you that the rooms are being watched and broken into. Yes, that makes me want to come back to Cayman….and if my room is broken into I will ne3ver be back to Cayman
Mac and his supporters want independence like amaica, so now they don't have to wait, Jamaica has come to us.
Certainly the misuse of comparatives and superlatives is a serious issue.
Criminal even?
The worse thing is the robbers are walking free. Never heard of any missing in action. Business people need to get business heads. Stop being so lax in your daily drive to money for criminals, and set your trap. If you want to catch a rat, you know he loves cheese, SET THe TRAP, it will snap.
Someone cried; we need change, we need progress, we need to grow the population, we need to introduce and import slave labour, we need to do away with our traditional morals, standards and ethics … all I know is – I hardly recognize this country today.
We have gone from something extraordinary to every run-of-the-mill modern western city.
Take me back to our 1990's existence and you can have everything thereafter. For it is from that point onwards that the welfare of my country and fellow Caymanians started sliding downhill.
Seriously, you can have it all back. Personally I did not ask for it and honestly do not partake in the majority of supposed "perks" and "development" introduced since the aforementioned era.
Cayman, we know from whence we came, and only us know (and truly care about) what we are losing. We must stand strong in our convictions, morals and identity and demand changes. Otherwise, we all shall perish.
I long for the days of old. As a many times over visitor to Cayman I would take the Cayman of the 80's over what you offer now. Always did we feel safe in Cayman. It is not that way anymore. We used to walk the streets of Seven Mile Beach…not anymore. I am so sorry for what Cayman has become. I am sorry for the people who visit today and never experienced the Cayman of old.
Agreed.
Whodatis, strong on morals? Good try…Oh, you forgot to blame Tony Blair for the crime wave! Please make my day!!
The thing that worries me about your comment it that you believe it, the problems in Cayman are as much to do with Caymanians as Expats. There are very few young Caymanians that don't mimic, envy or idolise the "Gangster" mentality or way of life. For that reason, and because parents do not care enough to do anything about it, Cayman will only ever get worse.
At the end of the day expats can't stay in Cayman without work, so that would suggest to me that the unemplyed people who are causing trouble are either from our own shores or they are people who our immigration system have accepted to be useful and upstanding members of society. If it is locals causing the issues then we have problems, if it is "paper Caymanians" causing the issues then Immigration has problems and if it is expats that are cuasing the issues then once again immigration has issues.
The thing that worries me about your comment it that you believe my comment was about Cayanians vs. Expats.
You failed at that first hurdle therefore I won't waste the time to elaborate.
Well said "whodatis".
Whodatis, thank you. You have expressed my sentiments precisely and I need not add more.
Thank you poster. Appreciate the reasoned feedback.
Why not the 1960's before the introduction of the modernation you so despise?
For once I agree with Whadatis. Without progress, we would have no internet. Without internet we would not have CNS. Without CNS we wouldn't have comments. Oh I long for the old days, but not past the 1990's.
My Dad often said "When you pick up a stick you also pick up the other end" Now I am older I understand full well.
He studied melodrama at college.
Always amusing to hear "first generation" types calling for the ladder to be pulled up.
If there had been no growth, your parents would not have come and you would be posting in another country.
Actually, now that I think it through, I am with you Who!
Now, now. There, there. Don't take it hard. Just trolling you for my own amusement.
Till next time Bro. Stay "local"…….
What the hell are you trying to say, bro'?
Yes but you won stand tall and demand changes and the very people who are destroying this island are in government. Caymanians being governned by greedy caymanians.
Standing tall means Honest hard work and risking something. It would be easier to push a Camel through the eye of a needle then to get this guy to do anything but write.
Sorry, I am confused. I thought it was all to do with the status grants in 2003 why the country is in dire straits? Or Tony Blair.
As for the offer of handing everything back, you can start with your UK passport.
You can have my British Passport. I am ashamed of it. It represents nothing that I stand for and quite frankly, I will roll it up for you so you can stick it where the sun does not shine.
Just drop it into the Governor's office, that should suffice. Thanks.
Either way, I am sure you wouldn't get rid of it.
As always, for all the rhetoric, you still enjoy the associated perks on a daily basis.
Care to name a few?
That's the Colonial destabilization camp over for another year then.
What a sad bunch is the majority of you respondents.
As for those that supported the post and actually get the point being made – thank you.
Come on Mr. Tortuga, you've been a victim many times now these low lives are obviously watching your staff and anyone else who has something of value. Put some security measures in place to protect your property and staff. In this day and age not even the police can drive around with cash in their cars.
Like I said before…we need more police on foot and on bycicle patrolling a specific area and time. Maybe with a police presence, this people would think twice on acting.
We need Jackie Chan – this so-called Machete Gang would fare no better than the infamous Axe Gang!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8oz_B2aGn8
Really? On a bicycle? These guys are too lazy to even drive around in their fancy police vehicles, and now you want them to ride bikes? In the sun?? Lol! Good luck with that
I must Laugh, you really do not know what is going on in Cayman,. Yea right, they being robbed.
When are the politicians having a public meeting to address the ineptness of Baines? Timefor a petition to get started to oust him from office. Do what was done back in the good old days when Stowers was here and sat on his laurels after the murder of a prominent woman. Public meetings were held and he had to leave.
Baines is useless. Whether he performs or not he collects his pay. Time for his exit.
My opinion is that the social problems we are experiencing in these islands go far beyond the Commissioner of Police. We can change Baines and replace him with someone else but until the core problems are addressed it will not matter. The politicians we have elected must get off their laurels and stop the bandaid treatments and popularity dancing! We need to understand that the issues we are groppling to deal with – or even understand – were self created: mass physical development and runaway investment on a grand scale, without the proper development of our own human capital to keep abreast the needs it brought with it! Instead our politicians cater to investors who invent every conceivable excuse to import labour from other countries, some of whom are no better qualifed than our own; yet they are not willing to invest in the training of Caymanins. The symptoms we are witnessing is merely that, syptoms of a chronic disease eating way at our once safe, caring, welcoming, Christan society.
I have neither found Cayman christian or welcoming but boy they have a lot of religion.
Strange you call for Baines to go because of his perceived ineptness. By that reasoning we would never have a Bush, McLaughlin and many others in power.
Armed police on every corner of the street.
On an island with 60,000 people and 400 police officers, Crime is OUT OF CONTROL.
We need to put the 'Fear of the Law' back into the people, and 'The fear of GOD' into the criminals.
When 'Vigilantism' runs wild in our country, the blame will lie squarely on the shoulders of our Politicians and the RCIPS who sat by and did nothing to protect the innocent from these want-to-be-thugs that live among us.
07:47, we don't need more police, we need more people stepping up to the plate to inform on those that are committing these crimes and those that play the part in setting them up for others to committ.
The old addage of "informa fi dead" is stumping the police becasue no one is talking but a shitload of people in Cayman know exactly who, where, what and how these are hppening.
Unil people stat talkin, tre will be no cange, it will only get worse.
And ofcourse on top of that you have the fact that people are too scared to talk because of police failings in keeping information under wraps………
I am over seas and can't believe what a crime hole the used to be Lovely Cayman Islands have come too. For the size of the island are you really telling the world you cant control the crime.
If I am reading this everyday , ! … What do you all think potential visitor's are doing. ( Booking a new destination. )
Something is a miss on this one at 5:50 in the evening, this should be quite easy for the police to solve. My question is were there security officers at the premises during the robbery? It is now time for the police officers to step it up a notch let these criminals see that the police are in control of the streets, if you have to place a police car and officer on every street cornor and close to every business establishment then so be it. The citizens of this country is sick and tired of crime and criminals.
So no shots fired again. Success at last!