Another Friday robbery: Rs3.8m stolen from a bank in Orangi

Seven men entered the bank at 9:05 am and were out minutes later.

KARACHI: The authorities have no idea how they will arrest the men behind the ten bank robberies which have taken place in the city this year. In the latest heist, around seven men, including six dressed in plain shalwar kameez, held the staff and customers hostage and stole more than Rs3.8 million from a bank in Orangi Town within the limits of the Pirabad police station.

The authorities claim that the men arrived at the bank in a white Suzuki high-roof van at 9:05 am. They claim that the men entered the bank one by one and took eight to ten minutes to rob the bank. The authorities added that the men snatched the security guards weapons and held them at gunpoint.  Around three to four customers were also held at gunpoint. “As soon as they entered the bank they caught the guards and when the police constable tried to resist, they hit him,” said one of the customers. “They all had weapons and had threatened to kill.”

The security guards at the bank were also questioned about their possible involvement. SHO Pervez Gujjar said that the police did not detain or arrest any security guard or staff member, just questioned them. He added that two of the men had been carrying a Kalashnikov and repeater gun while the rest had TT and 9mm pistols. “The police have obtained the CCTV footage which suggests that this group of robbers might have been involved in more bank robberies such as the one in Gulshan-e-Iqbal,” said Special Investigation Unit DSP Faisal Noor.  The authorities added that they have registered a case on behalf of the bank manager Rasheed.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th,  2011.