Four Held After Pier Park Robbery; Motor
Four people have been taken into custody and remain in police custody following a violent midday robbery at the House of Luxury jewellery store at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park on Tuesday, December 2, police and local media report. Officers recovered the motor vessel used in the getaway in the Kingston area and a subsequent search of a Kingston home produced stolen jewellery and weapons, authorities said.
Four men were detained for questioning after a brazen armed robbery at the House of Luxury jewellery store at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park around 2:00pm on Tuesday, December 2, authorities confirmed. According to statements from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and Pier Park management, masked gunmen forced entry into the store, threatened staff and shoppers at gunpoint and took valuables from the premises.
Shots were reportedly fired during the incident but no serious injuries have been reported; staff and customers were left shaken. Witness accounts and the police statement say the assailants fled the Pier Park by sea in a go-fast motor vessel. The RVIPF later located and recovered that vessel run aground and abandoned in the Kingston area.
Police said searches in Kingston were intensified late Tuesday into the early hours of Wednesday. A subsequent operation in the Kingston area produced a cache that included stolen jewellery, masks, gloves and an AK-47 rifle, the RVIPF said. Four men were taken into custody for questioning and remain in police custody while investigations continue.
BVI News reported that its sources had not yet ascertained the suspects' identities but said none are Virgin Islanders and that they all share the same nationality. Police sources, as reported earlier, described the four as being of Trinidadian nationality. Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department are pursuing leads into the case, the RVIPF added.
Acting Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger described the robbery as a brazen act that endangered members of the public and said the force is dedicating necessary resources to identify and apprehend anyone responsible. He urged anyone with information to come forward to assist the investigation.
This marks the second armed robbery at the House of Luxury at Pier Park in two years; the store was previously targeted on July 1, 2023. The repeat attack has intensified concern among residents, business owners and tourists about security at the busy waterfront hub. The RVIPF is asking members of the public who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the vicinity of Pier Park or in the Kingston area around the time of the incident to contact the Intelligence Unit at 368-9339.
Anonymous tips can also be given to Crime Stoppers at 800-8477 locally or 284-800-8477 from overseas. Authorities said all information will be treated with the utmost confidence. Further updates will be provided as charges are considered and more information becomes available. Initial reporting on the matter was provided by Guavaberry and BVI News, with official details from the RVIPF.
Primary source: Guavaberry