Bank robbery: Guard accused of assisting heist

KARACHI: In what was reportedly the 10th robbery of the year, bandits managed to get away with Rs1.7 million from a Soneri Bank branch located in the precincts of Defence police station on Tuesday.

Police said that five armed men entered the bank in Defence phase II extension at approximately 12:20 pm and held the staff and customers hostage. They reportedly collected money from the cash counter and ATM machine in less than 10 minutes after which they fled off in a car. DSP Altaf Hussain asserted that the bandits were aided by the security guard deployed at the bank.

Quoting witnesses, Hussain said the guard, hailing from Bahwalpur, had assisted the robbers in entering the bank and escaping with the loot. Police have approached the private security company to seek their assistance in arresting him. No case was registered with the police till the filing of this report. Earlier on March 27, Rs1.2 million had been taken away from Habib Bank Ltd branch in Phase 8 of DHA within the jurisdiction of the Gizri police station.

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