Back in History: Thugs ambush driver

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Driver Anesh Kumar rests his bandaged elbow where he was hit by one of the raiders. Picture: FILE

IN 1986, four masked thugs ambushed Navua lorry owner Parma Nand and his driver, Anesh Kumar, before robbing them of more than $1000.

The hijacking of the vehicle in the hills of Namosi was reported by The Fiji Times on August 2 that year.

The report stated the lorry was returning after delivering groceries to villages in the interior when it had to stop at a roadblock.

There, the raiders struck and assaulted Mr Nand, 31, his driver, Mr Kumar, 23, before making off in the lorry, leaving the two as well as a third passenger behind in the dark.

Police later found the lorry abandoned in Nasinu two days later.

The lorry’s freezer, which was packed with frozen goods, was empty and a 200-litre drum of kerosene missing.

Other groceries that were in boxes were also taken. The goods were worth more than $3000.

Mr Kumar told The Fiji Times they were about three kilometres from the Queens highway when they came across the roadblock.

“I stopped the truck and got off with a Namosi villager who was with us to remove the logs when someone shouted from the dark and told us not to move or our heads would be chopped off,” he said.

“Three men armed with sticks appeared from one side of the road while another man with a cane knife emerged from the other side.”

The time of the attack was about 10pm, Mr Kumar added.

They had left the headlights on when getting out to remove the logs. Mr Nand, who remained seated in the vehicle, was told to give all the money to one of the raiders.

“While Mr Nand was going through his pockets, the guy punched him and dragged him out of the truck.

“He further assaulted Mr Nand who scrambled to the road as we watched helplessly while the three other men guarded us closely.”

Mr Kumar said after rummaging through the pockets of Mr Nand who was struggling on the ground, the man with the knife approached them and demanded they hand over the cash till.

“When I told him we didn’t have a till, he whacked me on my elbow and head with a piece of wood he had in the other hand. I felt dizzy for about two minutes and almost fell to the ground from the blow.

“They also swore at the villager who was with us and ordered us to move back as they were taking the lorry.”

Mr Kumar said one of them went to the back of the truck to have a look at the goods. They later boarded the truck and drove away.

The stranded men had to walk three kilometres to the highway where they hailed a Couriers Documents Parcels Ltd truck for a lift to the Navua Hospital.

The CDP truck radiotelephoned the Lami Police Station and reported the incident.

Mr Kumar said the truck had slowed about 20 metres from the scene when he saw a red taxi pulling out from the side of the road and followed it.

A police spokesman at Valelevu said police believed the robbers had used a stolen taxi.

He confirmed a complaint of a stolen taxi which they found abandoned not far from where the truck was found.

Mr Nand had owned a grocery store in Navua and ran a regular delivery service to villages in the interior every Thursday and Sunday.

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