KARACHI: A security guard was killed and two others were wounded on Thursday in a Rs15 million cash van robbery in Korangi when at least five robbers on two-wheelers struck the vehicle and disappeared with the loot in a flash, police and witnesses said.
They said one of the robbers rammed his motorbike into the cash van of a security company at around 3.40pm near Bilal Chowrangi in the Korangi Industrial Area and the others opened fire instantly as the three security guards opened the rear door of the van.
The witnesses said the robbers, some of them wearing jeans and shirts with their faces covered in helmets, burst into the van firing, grabbed a money bag and rode off.
The police quoted the security company’s management as saying that Rs15 million was taken away from the van that carried over Rs50 million.
The driver of the van remained unhurt and was taken into custody for interrogation, they said.
The witnesses said at least five robbers on as many motorcycles looted the van while a light silver car was seen backing them up.
Senior police officials and area SHO rushed to the spot as the dead and wounded men were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a postmortem examination and treatment.
Medico-legal sources said the dead and wounded guards had received one bullet each. Guard Qabil, son of Ghulam Ali, received a fatal bullet wound in his upper torso, while the wounded guards –– Mir Zaman and Gul Faraz –– were hit by bullets in their hand and leg.
The dead man hailed from Abbottabad.
Area SP Waqar Malhan told Dawn that the modus operandi of the robbers suggested that it was a well-organised raid.
“It seems that the robbers wanted to take away the cash van of the security company that had a permit to carry up to Rs200 million,” he added.
The SP said it was unusual on part of the security guards in the vault portion of the van to open the rear door when the robber struck his motorbike against their bullet-proof vehicle that also had see-through glasses. “They are not supposed to open the rear door in any eventuality and the investigators are looking into this aspect as well,” he added.
SP Malhan said the guards of the security companies’ cash vans did not open the door of their vehicles even when intercepted by policemen in uniform and they talked from inside. “It is strange that they opened the door in violation of their own standard operating procedure,” he said.
The police officer said the van was equipped with the latest wireless communication system and in case of any emergency the guards were required to seek help from the base and their mobile vans patrolling the area.
He said that according to witnesses’ account one of the robbers dashed into the van as its door opened and started firing on the guards who were armed with sophisticated weapons.
SHO Shahzada Saleem said a case (FIR 503) was registered against four to five unknown bandits on a complaint of a security company official.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.