Robbery at Transport Department Office leaves cop injured

Employees and customers of the Transport Department were surprised by a brazen midday robbery. It was executed with precision at the West Collet Canal Offices. At least one of the robbers was wearing a mask. One policeman was badly beaten and an undisclosed amount of money was stolen in the robbery. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
At around eleven o’clock this morning the Department of Transport Office on the second floor of the bus terminal on West Collet Canal was robbed. It happened as soon as several B.D.F. soldiers left the building. One office employee was shocked when she walked out of her office and saw a masked man.

Employee #1, Department of Transport, Belize City
“I was in my office doing my work and I heard something broke so I jumped up and opened my door. When I was about to exit the door, I saw a young man with a stockings on and a hat so I reverse back in my room, clothes my door, click off the light and I didn’t have credit to call my aunt cause she is next door and a friend over by me and his door is open as well as my aunt. Same time I heard my phone ringing and I hurry cut it off and I put it on back and it was a text with a pin number. So I got the pin number and I put it in my phone and I called them and tell them I think they’re robbing up here and the young man was like no. How could it be and they are right over there and they wouldn’t know anything. So he called back and he said are you sure cause I want to call the police. I tell him I believe so cause I was secreting to him. I just told him to lock his door and don’t come out and then I called my aunt next door and I told her the same.”

Employee #2, Department of Transport, Belize City
“It was one of my co-workers who called me via her cell phone and said they are robbing the place. So I say how come? She seh don’t come out, so I said okay. So I turned the knob on my door. That was when one of my cousins, who is a member of the C.I.B., called me and asked me about it and I told her I was told moments ago by one of my co-workers. She said just stay safe and the police will be there shortly.”

There were four customers in the building along with the cashier and the office supervisor. While the group was being robbed an officer walked in and was badly beaten with a gun. His blood was still on the floor.

Employee #1
“I came in and sit on the floor and turn off the light till about five minutes and then I heard talking out there and then I pulled my curtain and it was the police. I saw a police with his face bust and swell with blood we find out everything from there.”

Jose Sanchez
“I know your co-workers are traumatized at this point, but what did they tell you happened?”

Employee #1
“At first I saw was the one in charge right now and she was all filthy and dirty and she told me that they had them on the floor and they were searching the office and they went through their purse and went with so many money and her phone. I couldn’t even speak to the cashier because she was just crying and crying and crying. Then I found out that one of the young man was telling the other one that if she’s taking too long to open the vault, just shoot her. Then I understand why she was so traumatized because they were threatening to shoot. I’m the relieving cashier and I am just thankful that I was not in there because I don’t have the vault number so maybe they would have shot me because I don’t even have the vault number and they wouldn’t have believed that. So I just thank God that everyone is safe.”

Though it was a busy day at the bus terminal, bystanders were not aware that a robbery and aggravated assault had just occurred.

Voice of: Bystander
“I see di officer come out ah di place wid ih head bust open and deh put ah eena di truck and deh tek ah. Dat’s about it. I noh see nobody run in or out, noh even see nobody hit ah really, cause I deh out yah di sit down, soh I noh know. We never know dah mi wah robbery. I never hear no gunshot, I never see nobody run, it was just a surprise for me. We thought it was a fight. We didn’t know it was nothing else more than dat.”

The employees say that security at the building has been lacking since the office moved to that location over two years ago.

Jose Sanchez
“Do you agree that security is an issue here?”

Employee #1
“Oh my God it is. We need it and then we have a hole from the S.T.O. office and I always tell them that whenever they come up here to jack, that they can jump right from the hole to the cashier cause it’s a big hole. Yes, we need a security, we need to be closed up more cause anybody could just walk up that step and jump right cross. So we need a lot of security and to be honest, I don’t know if I will ever want to go back in there, I’m scared.”

Jose Sanchez
“At least everyone is okay.”

Employee #1
“Yes, everyone is okay.”

Employee #2
“This is a revenue area for the government. People come travel through this terminal everyday, we have tourists travelling through here. I’m asking for security, armed security. Every time something happens in this terminal we have to call them. By the time they come, the culprits have already left, whether it be jacking, fighting, domestic. We have been requesting it. Why is it so hard for them to just give us security?”

And as Christmas gets closer, the robbers become bolder. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.