Brazen Heist at Heritage Bank Nets $40,000

And that was the good news, but now to crime…Last week, the A and R Enterprise Limited was robbed of almost thirteen thousand dollars in cash. And this morning, robbers staged a brazen heist at the Provident Bank Limited located at the corner of Barrack Road and Craig Street. There were two of them, dressed for the part as successful businessmen. The bank is not a traditional commercial banking institution, with tellers, drawers loaded with cash and a vault. But there is some cash kept on the premises, and the robbers knew just where to go. They were in and out in about a minute, forty thousand dollars richer, thanks to the contents of two cash pans kept by the cashier in the establishment. The only casualty was an unfortunate security guard, who was hit with a gun to the head. Police arrived minutes after…too late to apprehend the robbers, but the investigation has moved swiftly and authorities are on the heels of the suspects, who have been identified. CIB Officer, Inspector Santiago Ciau, briefed us on the timeline of today’s events.

Insp. Santiago Ciau, O.C., C.I.B., Precinct 3

Insp. Santiago Ciau

“This morning about nine fifteen we received information that there was a robbery in progress at the Provident Bank on Barrack Road. In regards to that the Police responded. When the Police arrived there the robbery had already occurred. Several interviews were conducted and during the interview it was revealed that two male persons entered the bank. One of them requested to see the cashier. In that process he went to the cashier’s cubicle, pulled out the bottom drawer and took out two cash pans, a red and a black, and was walking out with it when the cashier chased him and said you cannot take these things because they are not for you. The second man then pulled out a point thirty eight revolver and told them do not move, this is a robbery…and that’s how come the guy managed to leave with the two cash pans. The security was then hauled by the gunman to the counter and gun-butted three times, and then was ordered to lie on the floor. Then the gunman left the building. In that process the security still managed to get up and ran behind him on Craig Street. That is when he saw them boarding a silver van, where he took down the license plate and gave the Police that information. That’s how come Police managed to track down the van and have impounded the van in regards to this investigation. The amount of money stolen is approximately about forty thousand Belize dollars.”

Police have impounded the van used in the broad daylight robbery. One man is currently detained and is being questioned. Police already know the identity of the persons being sought. The robbers actually got away with forty-one thousand dollars – twelve thousand U.S. in one cash pan and seventeen thousand B.Z. in the other.