Bank robberies: Police suspect repeat offender in 16th heist
The police suspect that a former security guard is behind two bank robberies this week - Nasir used to work for Askari Bank Limited and was arrested for a robbery in 2006.
The latest casualty was Habib Bank Ltd on Thursday. The police suspect Nasir is behind it.
Seven men, including one dressed as a security guard, walked into a Garden HBL branch in the morning and took the staff hostage. The men then proceeded to the strong room with the cashier. Seven minutes later, they left with the CCTV footage and Rs4.4 million.
A day earlier, on Wednesday, six men stole Rs4 million from a branch of Habib Metropolitan Bank near Hasan Square. The police suspect the same gang is involved. “There is not much we can do to stop these robberies,” said SSP Raja Umer Khattab. “The banks will have to cooperate with us.”
The SSP said that Nasir’s gang was responsible for both robberies and that they ran off to Parachinar or Kohat after each robbery. It was quite difficult to catch them in a snap check as they would pass off as ordinary labourers. According to the SSP, Nasir organised his own criminal gang after he did time. Its members come to Karachi every 20 days. “Most security guards are old,” he said. “They only get Rs7,000 so don’t expect them to risk their lives.”
with additional information from PPI
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2011.
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I believe our judiciary should finally start looking at themselves rather than at others for most of this country's problems. The corrupt judiciary in almost every case eventually lets the criminals go scot free after a few months behind bars. Yesterday two judges deciding the case of the white corolla rapist in Karachi, summoned all the high officials including the IG and chief secretary Sindh on the application of the rapists' wife that she should not bear leasing expense of the vehicle used by her husband in the crimes that he committed. Our judges are more interested in protecting the perpetrators of these sick crimes than the victims. Ali Hajiano the white corolla rapist deserves nothing but lashing to death as a punishment. However our judiciary will use their favorite excuse of "lack of evidence" to set this criminal free so he too can continue his crime spree like the mastermind of these bank robberies.