KARACHI: Armed robbers stormed a private bank branch in Shadman Town, overpowered guards and walked off with Rs8.7 million in what police described as the year’s first bank heist on Wednesday.

The Shahrah-i-Noor Jehan police said six robbers, mostly teenagers who wore masks to hide their faces, arrived at the BankIslami branch in Shadman Town at around 2:45pm, easily overpowered the guards and snatched a weapon.

DIG Ahmed Nawaz Cheema of the CIA police told Dawn that the robbers did not create a ‘scare’ in the bank as they collected a total of Rs8.7m from cash counters and fled.

The police said that the robbers threw the gun snatched from one of the guards at some distance.

Police claim to have found some clues about identity of masked gunmen

After the incident, Central SSP Faisal Abdullah Chachar and Special Investigation Unit (SIU) SSP Junaid Ahmed Shaikh visited the spot.

Later, SSP Shaikh told Dawn that the bank did not follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the State Bank of Pakistan. The bank recently hired the services of two guards belonged to a relatively unknown private security company.

He said that one of the guards was on leave and the other one had left his position to drink water and the robbers easily grabbed him, collected Rs8.7m from the counter and rode away.

He said that this was the year’s first bank robbery in Karachi.

CCTV footage showed the robbers, who also wore caps, arrived at the bank on three motorbikes.

DIG Cheema said a probe had been launched and investigators had got some clues about the identity of the robbers.

Meanwhile, interim Home Minister Haris Nawaz and Inspector General of Police Riffat Mukhtar took notice of the bank heist.

“Why were there no arrangements for police patrolling near and around the bank,” the home minister asked the Karachi police chief. He also directed him to take action against those found negligent.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2023