Suriname’s national law enforcement agency, the Korps Politie Suriname (KPS), has taken a second individual into custody as part of an ongoing probe into a deadly armed robbery that unfolded at a busy Paramaribo intersection earlier this month. The 29-year-old suspect, identified only by the initials A.T., was apprehended on November 9 in the Kwatta residential area, following weeks of coordinated investigative work across multiple police units.
The violent incident that sparked the investigation took place on the morning of November 6, at the crossroads of David Simonsstraat and Wilhelminastraat. A 50-year-old man of Chinese descent, named C.H., was traveling as a passenger alongside a fellow occupant in a white Toyota Prado at approximately 9:30 a.m., when their vehicle was deliberately boxed in by a white Toyota Vitz carrying three masked, heavily armed men. The assailants immediately smashed the Prado’s windows, seized a black bag holding a large sum of cash in both U.S. dollars and Surinamese dollars, and shot C.H. in the chest during the chaotic confrontation. The victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the three attackers fled the location in the stolen getaway Vitz.
Law enforcement made their first breakthrough the very same day of the murder-robbery, when a joint police task force executed a targeted raid and arrested a 31-year-old suspect identified as T.V. in connection with the case. At the time of that first arrest, KPS officials confirmed that investigators were actively working to identify and track down all remaining individuals linked to the fatal crime.
The second arrest of A.T. was made possible after a verified tip was processed through collaborative work between the KPS Intelligence Division and the force’s specialized Drone Unit. A multi-disciplinary team led by the Major Crimes Department, with tactical support from the national Arrestatie Team and the Joint Operation Center, carried out the controlled arrest at an apartment complex in the Kwatta neighborhood without any reported incidents. Preliminary forensic and documentary checks indicate that A.T. rented the white Toyota Vitz used as the getaway vehicle from a local car rental company, for the exact window of dates that the fatal robbery was committed. Investigators have emphasized that they have not yet confirmed the full scope of A.T.’s alleged involvement in the planning or execution of the violent attack, and her exact role in the criminal network remains under active review. Following formal coordination with Suriname’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, A.T. has been placed in pre-trial detention to prevent interference with the ongoing investigation. KPS spokespersons have stated that the probe is still fully active, with officers continuing to pursue leads to identify and arrest the three masked armed men who carried out the fatal robbery, as well as any other unapprehended accomplices who may have aided the plot.
Tweede verdachte aangehouden in onderzoek naar roofmoord David Simonsstraat
