Police in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, have confirmed a robbery at Goroka’s Bank South Pacific branch this morning.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander, Alex N’Drasel, said around 4 to 5 armed men entered the bank’s Priority Banking area and robbed a BSP client.
They took off with K567,000 cash.
PPC N’Drasel said between 10am and 11am, the robbers drove into the Priority Banking area and parked there.
Soon after, the accountant of Shanda Trading, including an Asian man and their driver, drove into the parking lot.
When the female accountant stepped out of the vehicle to enter the bank, the men got out with high powered guns and held them up.
They quickly took the money from the accountant and sped off, breaking through the bank’s gate.
Police were alerted by the owner of the business 30 minutes later.
Police Task Force, following leads, found the vehicle used in the robbery abandoned at Mambu settlement.
According to bystanders, the robbers abandoned the vehicle and got in a taxi, driving towards Kama.
They reportedly stopped the taxi at the road towards Bihute and took the bush track.
Police are still hunting for them.
PPC N’Drasel could not confirm whether the men were wearing police uniforms or not as the BSP guards and victims were not certain.
He said according to the BSP guards, all the robbers were in dark blue field uniforms without police logo, which are widely sold at shops in Goroka Town.
The PPC believes it is an inside job, judging from the events that led up to the robbery.
“No one else, including police, is allowed into the Priority Banking area except BSP’s priority clients.”
The question now is how and why were these men allowed by the security guards into the Bank’s Priority Banking area.
Meanwhile, the Bank continued its normal services.