Swabi: Gunmen steal Rs1.3m from bank

SWABI: Masked men robbed a local branch of a private bank in Dagai village of Swabi on Tuesday. Habib Bank Dagai branch manager Zahidullah said at approximately 12:15pm – a time when most the bank was fairly empty – five masked gunmen on motorcycles appeared. The men barged inside the building, overpowering the watchman. They locked all employees of the bank in a room at gunpoint and managed a fine loot of Rs1,397,888. Zahidullah told Kalu Khan DSP Muhammad Pervaiz Khan the robbers also stole Rs100,000 which he was carrying in his pocket at the time. “They checked the pockets of other employees and took their mobile phones and cash,” he stated when he filed the case with the police. DSP Pervaiz said security officials have blocked all entrance and exit points in the area and have set up checkpoints. A search operation was also carried out to arrest the culprits. On May 31, 2011 four armed robbers escaped with Rs2.5million from a National Bank branch in Zarobi, Swabi.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2013.