The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A HIGH-SPEED police chase broke out yesterday after two Chinese nationals were robbed at gunpoint as they walked into Scotia Bank on Cable Beach.

The car chase resulted in two men being arrested and the deposit bag with its contents being recovered.

According to police the man and woman were about to make a deposit when two men approached them with a handgun and robbed them of a deposit bag containing an undisclosed amount of cash.

This blatant daylight robbery, along with a string of others that occurred over the weekend, have prompted police to send a warning to the public.

According to police reports, the man and the woman were attempting to make a deposit at Scotia Bank on West Bay Street shortly after 10am, when a man armed with a handgun approached them, robbing them of a deposit bag containing an undisclosed amount of cash. The gunman then sped off in a white Honda driven by another man.

Police on mobile patrol in the area spotted the Honda with the two men leaving the bank’s parking lot and attempted to stop it.

A chase followed in western New Providence, with the robbers eventually abandoning the vehicle in the Pride Estates area.

Police caught one suspect after a pursuit on foot. They also recovered the deposit bag.

Later, officers saw a man in the Carmichael Road area who fitted the description of the second suspect.

When police attempted to apprehend him, he ran into a SuperValue warehouse.

The suspect surrendered to police a short time later.

One suspect is 46 years old, the other, a teenager, is 19.

No one was hurt in the incident.

Investigations are continuing.

Police are also asking for the public’s assistance with two separate armed robberies that took place on Sunday.

The first incident occurred shortly after noon.

According to police reports, the victim was at Sequoia Street, Pinewood Gardens, when he was approached by a man armed with a handgun. The man robbed him of jewellery and cash and fled on foot.

The second incident reportedly occurred an hour later around 1pm.

Police say the victim was standing in front of a business establishment located on East Bay Street when a man armed with a handgun approached him, robbed him of cash and sped off in the victim’s gray 2011 Honda Frito vehicle license number 246548.

Police are investigating and are appealing to members of the public who may have information regarding these two incidents, to contact them at 919, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS or contact their nearest police station.

In the wake of a string of armed robberies over the past couple of weeks, police are asking members of the public to be a bit more aware of their surroundings.

Supt Stephen Dean said that while he still did not know if the incidents are related, he believes more than 50 per cent of the armed robberies could have been prevented.

“Police are still running the information through the system and we should know in a few days if these armed robberies are related,” he said.

“We are questioning a number of people, targeting a number of people recently released  from prison as well as following significant leads. Right now these armed robberies are our main focus. We have also come to the conclusion that some of these robberies are random and crimes of opportunity. More than 50 per cent of these could have been avoided if members of the public had taken preventative measures.”

Supt Dean also denied reports that the armed robberies were connected to staged car accidents.

He said while police had reports of one or two of those types of robberies months ago that is not the case now.