Bank heist: Brazen robbers steal millions of rupees, dollars

Armed men beat up manager, security guard.

KARACHI:

The routine monotony of a local bank was broken on Thursday when seven to eight armed men stormed inside, brandishing their guns.

The gang of robbers stole local and foreign currency and prize bonds worth more than Rs6.2 million from the United Bank Limited (UBL) branch at Azam Town, Mehmoodabad.

The branch bank manager told police that the robbers came in a Cuore (APG-908) and two motorcycles. He was confident he could identify at least two or three of them if he were to see them again.

The men forced their way into the bank on Thursday morning. Taking the employees hostage, they managed to steal around six million in rupees, 800 in dollars and prize bonds worth Rs29,400.

Before escaping, the robbers also stole the DOR system, which is used to record movements inside the bank. They also took the guard’s repeater gun and TT pistol, issued under the private security company.

UBL Customer Service Manager Muhammad Abdul Sajid told the police that he went to the bathroom in the bank around 9:30 am and when he came out, he sensed there was something wrong. Then he saw the men, who were standing inside the bank. One of them was brandishing a gun at the bank manager, Ramazan.

Another robber held a gun to cashier Lal Hussain Afridi’s head.

The rest of the men also had their weapons out to keep the staff under control.

Abdul Sajid said the robbers assaulted Ramazan and also beat up the guard, Ghulam Rasool. They hit the guard with the butt of the gun, injuring his head.

Threatening to kill them, the man demanded keys to the locker room. Once he got them, he forced Afridi to go with him to the lockers, from where he proceeded to retrieve the cash.

The gang managed to escape in the same vehicles they came in. The robbers appeared to be between 40 and 45 years old.

The police have registered a case, FIR No. 129/2011, under section 359 and 397 on the complaint of Abdul Sajid.

The investigation will be headed by Special Investigations Unit, East zone DSP Faisal Noor, who will be assisted by the CID.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2011.