The Tribune

Two men are in custody after a series of attempted robberies - including an attempted raid which left a security guard injured on Friday. They were two in a series of arrests, with up to 40 people detained over the weekend as officers executed search warrants and carried out a police operation across New Providence.

In the first incident, shortly after 8am on Friday, a man armed with a firearm entered a gaming establishment on Joe Farrington Road, held employees at bay and robbed the business of cash before running away.

In the second incident, shortly before 4pm, two armed men entered a business in Palmdale, and shot a security guard before running away. Police responded and arrested a 57-year-old man in connection with the second incident.

The security guard was taken to hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

Yesterday, there were two more robberies - in the first, a man was walking on West Bay Street near Saunders Beach at 3am when he was approached by two men, who came from a gray Nissan Cube and robbed him of cash and a cellphone before getting back in the car and speeding away.

In the second robbery, shortly after 4am, two men entered a fast food restaurant on Carmichael Road, held employees at bay and robbed the business of cash before getting into a Toyota Passo and speeding away.

A short while later, officers from the south-western division responding to the incident intercepted a grey Toyota Passo on Harry Allen Drive. One man was taken into custody, while a second man fled the vehicle and escaped.

Officers said a Colt 9mm pistol and a small box containing cash were recovered.

Police also made a number of arrests over the weekend as part of their “Silent Night” operation. On Friday, 20 people were arrested in the operation across New Providence, conducted by police assisted by marines from the defence force. Three more were arrested on Saturday.

Suspected offences include possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply, possession of illegal firearms and attempted armed robbery. Four search warrants were executed, 54 fixed penalty notices were issued to drivers, and there were nine arrests for outstanding warrants.

Police also found 36 rounds of .223 ammunition and suspected marijuana worth $3,200 on Friday when executing a search warrant on a tyre repair shop in Carmichael Road. Three men were taken into custody.

Two more men were taken into custody after a search warrant was executed on a home in Sunrise Road, Gamble Heights shortly after 1pm on Friday. Police found two clear plastic bags inside a blue and white bag. Each plastic bag had 20 foil wrappings of suspected marijuana. Two men in the house were taken into custody.

Officers also found a black .40 Taurus pistol and two rounds of ammunition when searching a bushy area near a park on Amaryllis Avenue, Garden Hills, shortly after 4pm on Friday while acting on information.

On Saturday, police took seven men into custody when they executed a search warrant on a premises in Bozine Town and recovered a .45 Glock pistol containing ten rounds of ammunition, a 9mm pistol and a .44 Ruger pistol with six rounds of ammunition. The detained men were on the property at the time of the search.

Also on Saturday, police acting on information went to Martin Close off Cowpen Road, where they saw two men standing on the side of the road. The men ran into a home, and the officers gave chase and detained them. After searching the home, officers said they recovered from the toilet 28 packages of suspected marijuana. The two men were taken into custody.

One other weapon was recovered at the weekend - a 12-gauge shotgun, found in a vacant lot on Farrington Road on Saturday shortly after 4pm by officers acting on information.