HYDERABAD: A private security firm was robbed of over Rs1.67 million by four armed men who broke into the company’s office in Citizens Colony at around 10am when disbursement of staff salaries was under way.

According to the victims, field officer Mohammad Nawaz and operator Mr Amin of the Zims (Zafar Iqbal Mirza Security) company, four armed men — three of them wearing helmets and one having covered his face with a handkerchief — broke into the office and held them at gunpoint.

An amount of Rs4.2 million had been drawn from a bank on Friday to disburse the salaries of some 80 security guards meant to protect the Sui Southern Gas Company’s network in Badin, Golarchi, Tando Mohammad Khan and certain other areas, they said, adding that around Rs2.5 million had already been disbursed while the remaining amount was present in the office.

Mr Nawaz said that the robbers snatched Rs1,656,500 from him and about Rs15,000 and two mobile phone sets from Mr Ameen at gunpoint.

He said some unarmed guards on a visit to the office to collect their salaries might also have been deprived of their cash and belongings but he was not sure about that.

“After committing the robbery, the armed men locked us in the room and fled,” he said.

Hyderabad SP Haider Raza told the media he believed that looting a security firm was not possible without the involvement of some insiders.

Bhitai Nagar police said no arrest had been made and no FIR lodged but an investigation into the incident was under way.

They said that an initial inquiry suggested that two motorcycles were used in the crime.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2014