Bank robberies: Police suspect repeat offender in 16th heist
Seven men, including one dressed as a security guard, walked into a Garden HBL branch in the morning.
KARACHI:
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.
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.