A single gang is suspected to be involved in the heists, investigators said. — File photo

KARACHI, Nov 23: Bandits took away Rs4 million from a bank branch in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Wednesday. This was the 14th bank heist of the year.

Three bank robberies were committed in October alone.

A single gang is suspected to be involved in the heists, investigators said.

Police said six suspects armed with TT pistols entered the Habib Metropolitan Bank branch at Hasan Square and held the staff and inmates at gunpoint.

“Initially two suspects entered the bank branch posing to be seeking change for a 1,000-rupee note.

They were followed by their accomplices who entered and overpowered the two bank guards with the help of the two accomplices present inside the branch,” SSP of range crime (east) Niaz Khosa told Dawn.

The two guards were deprived of their weapons: a repeater gun and a pistol.

Subsequently, the suspects collected the cash from the cash counter and went to the strongroom where they stuffed the bags with more currency notes.

The suspects also collected nine cellphones — four from the bank staff and five from the customers present in the bank — said SP Khosa.

The armed suspects also took away the digital video recorder installed in the bank with its footage.

They left the repeater gun snatched from the guard in the strongroom before leaving the bank, police said.

“It was an unusual time for carrying out a bank heist. They entered the bank premises at around 11am and left it in around 10 minutes. Usually bank holdups take place in the initial hours of banking,” remarked SP Niaz Khosa.

The suspects used a Suzuki carry van. In the previous bank heists Hi-roof vans were used by the robbers, police said.

“I am writing to the home department to ask the State Bank of Pakistan to direct the insurance companies to stop honouring claims of banks which don’t have a dual DVR system installed at their head offices,” SP Khosa told Dawn.

“There is a standard operating procedure that banks install a dual DVR system having a recording link at their head offices, but most banks are not following the SOP.

“They are careless since their cash is insured.”

An FIR (705/2011) under Section 395 of the Pakistan Penal Code was registered at the Aziz Bhatti police station on a complaint of Salman Siddiqi, the manager of the bank.