Trincity man arrested in Republic Day heist

A 38-YEAR-OLD man was arrested in relation to the bold, midday robbery at a Republic Bank automated teller machine (ATM) outlet on Monday in St Helena Junction.

A release by the police service this afternoon confirmed the Trincity labourer was held at home and a white Hyundai Tucson SUV, believed to be the second getaway vehicle used by the bandits, was found in his driveway at 11 am today.

Senior investigators confirmed $1.3 million was stolen from an armoured van during the robbery. Police said two security guards with G4S Security Company were replenishing the machine when gunmen confronted them and took their weapons and the cash. They then escaped in a silver Nissan X-Trail SUV with no licence plates.

Members of the Praedial Larceny Unit told Caroni police that an SUV matching the X-Trail's description was seen abandoned at Centero Farm Road in Las Lomas. Police later impounded the X-Trail. Both vehicles were seized, processed and discovered to have been reported as stolen.

Last December, $5 million was stolen from Amalgamated Security officers transporting the cash via cargo carriers in the loading area of Piarco Airport. In 2013, bandits took $250,000 from Sentinel Security Services in a robbery along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in which security guard Bert Clarke was shot dead when he tried to stop the bandits.