Inside job: Millions looted as security guard breaks into bank lockers

The robbery came to light when the bank staff came in to work on Monday morning.

KARACHI: It was to be just another normal start to another gruelling week. But the employees at the Disco Bakery branch of Meezan Bank were in for a nasty surprise. When they reached the offices as per schedule at around 8:30am, they were shocked to find 90 of the 144 lockers broken into and looted.

Dozens of the bank's customers have been deprived of millions of rupees in cash, foreign currency, jewellery, diamonds and other valuables. The employees immediately informed their superiors and then the police.

A security guard, identified as Nawaz Gul, who was deployed at the bank on security duty is believed to be the prime suspect. Gul, apparently with the help of unknown associates, barged into the lockers of the bank, cut the locks with the help of gas cutters and looted millions of rupees and valuables.



The bank's staff revealed that Gul, who hailed from Parachinar, was deployed at the bank since November last year. "This was the second time that Gul was deployed to our bank as earlier he had been withdrawn from duty," said Imran, a bank employee. "His duty time started at 6pm on Saturday and it seems the robbery was committed on the night between Saturday and Sunday."

As news of the robbery spread, a large number of clients gathered outside the bank premises, demanding they be given back their valuables. Most of the lockers were rented by retired citizens who had kept their life savings in the lockers for safety. "This is sheer negligence on the part of the bank as they only hired one guard for duty without proper verification," said one of the locker holders, Muhammad Ismail.

Another locker holder, Amjad Ali, said: "There was jewellery in my locker for my daughter's wedding. I don't care about the robbery or the bank. I just want my stuff back."

The lockers' section is located at the mezzanine floor of the bank. Footage obtained from the closed-circuit cameras installed at the bank, which the robbers did not take away, has been obtained. There is, however, nothing on the footage to help in the investigation. "The only thing that the footage shows is Gul covering the cameras with a tape," said Gulshan-e-Iqbal SP Abid Qaimkhani.

Police officials are trying to ascertain why the security alarms installed in the lockers' section did not go off. "We are trying to ascertain if the robbers switched off the alarm through some technical method or it was the failure of the company that provided the alarm to the bank," explained SP Abid Qaimkhani. "But it is clear Gul had other people helping him with the robbery."

SP Qaimkhani said that the police have detained three suspects, including Gul's colleagues and started further investigation. "We have also recorded the statements of the bank employees," he said, adding that they were inquiring why only one guard was posted on night duty. The police have also obtained fingerprints from the site, which they hope will help trace the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2015.