Man held in $500,000 ATM robbery

Princes Town Police said they have made a breakthrough in Sunday’s $500,000 robbery in which two security guards were held up outside Scotia Bank’s ATM. The guards also were robbed of their loaded guns as they attempted to deposit five bins of money. The 45-year-old suspect was arrested by a team of officers led by Sgt Steve Persad early yesterday. Investigators said a statement obtained from the suspect could lead to further arrests. The robbery took place around 11.45 am, outside Scotia Bank’s ATM at Craignish Village, Naparima/Mayaro Road, Princes Town. Investigators said G4S security guards Estate Constable Chan Seepersad, 56,  of Penal, Estate Constable Michael Norton, 28, of Isaac Avenue, Pointe-a-Pierre and Suresh Bansraj, 43, of New Grant, went to the bank to replace cash bins. They arrived at the bank in a cash-in-transit van.

Police said Seepersad and Norton came out and left Bansraj sitting in the van. Seepersad was holding a red bag with two bins filled with cash while Norton was holding another red bag with three bins. On reaching the entrance of the ATM, two men accosted the guards and robbed them of their guns—a Magnum revolver and a .38 revolver, each loaded with six rounds of ammunition. The thieves then snatched the two red bags and ran off along the M1 Ring Road. A team of officers, led by ASP Zamsheed Mohammed, visited the scene. Police set up a dragnet for the suspects and later obtained information which led to the arrest of a suspect. Cpl Reed of the Princes Town Police Station is continuing investigations.