There’s a lot of major news to report tonight – including
a testy exchange at the ceremonial opening of the Supreme Court between the
Chief Justice and the Attorney General, and we’ll also tell you just how
the Venezuelan housing grant will be disbursed and to whom. But we start with
a daring and costly armed robbery this morning at the Novelo’s Main Office
at mile two and a half on the Western Highway. Armed men stormed in and grabbed
a significant amount of cash – our sources say it could be as much as
twenty thousand dollars. It was all caught on tape, and Jacqueline Godwin found
that the stage for the heist was set when a dark grey Nissan Maxima pulled up
and parked only a few feet away from the main entrance.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
These are just two of several security cameras at the main compound of Transport
Services Limited which captured the biggest robbery to hit the bus service company
since it was established.
Philip Jones, Operations Manager
“I must say it happened so quickly Jackie, it happened so quickly
and I was just very shocked, surprised. Big eight o’clock we had employees,
we had almost about 15 to 20 employees on the compound.”
At approximately eight o’clock an employee is seen arriving in a taxi.
The young man walks through the gate leaving an opening and before the security
guard can leave his booth to close the gate the robbers who have patiently been
waiting for some fifteen minutes inside the car are seen quickly jumping out
of the small vehicle. The company’s operations manager Philip Jones says
he only heard when someone screamed “robbery, robbery.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What happened once the robbers entered the compound?
Philip Jones,
“Well I must say it was very quick. What the footage shows is that 
they ran in quickly and they grabbed the deposit bag and they made well away
with the bag.”
The whole thing took only thirty five seconds to unfold. It happened so fast
that as the masked robbers rushed into the compound this employee who was walking
across the yard was not even aware of what was happening around him. The security
guard only became aware of what had happened when the robbers ran back out of
the compound with the stolen bag full of money. The men are seen jumping back
into the car that quickly sped off towards Belize City.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Usually when an incident like this happened, you quickly suspect it may have
been somebody working for the company, that it is as a result of an inside job.
Does the company believe that this is the case?
Philip Jones,
“From my point of view at this present moment we are not ruling out
anything. Like I said the police, they are doing the investigation and I believe
that they are very professional at what they do and we are hoping for the best,
that something comes out of it.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
They didn’t say anything, they just ran into the compound and snatched
the bag and ran back out?
Philip Jones,
“That’s correct.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
They seemed to know what they were doing and where they should go?
Philip Jones,
“I suppose someone probably had knowledge of what they were doing
so I don’t want to prejudice the case or anything but I am hopefully that
the police are doing their utmost best at this present time and we will see
what the investigation leads.”
In the meantime National Transport Services Limited is offering a reward for
the arrest and conviction of the two suspects.
Philip Jones,
“It was a dark grey with dark glass car, a Nissan Maxima and the company
is arranging for a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction
of the people involved. They can either call the Police Department or National’s
office and the information will be undisclosed.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
The money was stolen, is that from the day’s sales?
Philip Jones,
“It was from the day and the day before sales that we have lost and
I must say we are very pleased that in the event of this robbery that occurred
there were no employee that was harmed or injured in the process so we are very
thankful for that.”
Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.
Anyone with information can call the police or 0-800-922-TIPS.
Email
Print