Heist: Bandits loot private bank in Azeem Pura

Separately, SIU claim to have foiled another bank robbery by arresting two alleged robbers

KARACHI: A group of bandits looted the branch of a private bank in Azeem Pura, Shah Faisal Colony, within the limits of the alFalah police station on Wednesday.

Police officials and witnesses said that a group of armed men, comprising at least five members, arrived at the branch of Allied Bank at around 10:15am on two motorcycles. While entering the bank, they first held the security guard, who was on duty at the main gate of the bank, hostage at gunpoint and also snatched his pistol. Later, they entered the bank and also held the staffers and customers hostage at gunpoint and collected nearly Rs400,000 from the cash counter before leaving. The robbers had managed to escape before the police reached the site.

Police officials said that the robbers completed their swift operation within five minutes. However, they did not take away the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the bank while fleeing. SHO Amin Marri said that the police have obtained the CCTV footage and initiated investigations. This was the eighth bank robbery in the current year.

Robbery foiled

Separately, Special Investigation Unit (SIU) claim to have foiled a bank robbery at MCB Bank, located at Vita Chowrangi in Korangi Industrial Area, by arresting two suspected notorious bank robbers, identified as Imtiaz Mirani and Gul Sher. They were arrested from outside the bank while two of their companions managed to escape.

SIU officials said that both the accused are involved and wanted in bank robberies in Karachi and Hyderabad, adding that 26 cases of robbery and extortion were registered against Mirani between 2009 and 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd,  2015.