Trinidad Newsday

Three masked gunmen escaped with $5 million on Wednesday night when they held up a Securicor van which was transporting 14 bags of cash to the firm’s San Fernando branch for safe keeping.

The $5 million was in eight bags which the gunmen took, while six smaller bags also containing a great sum of money were left behind in the van.

Three security guards were in the van at the time and were transferring the money to the firm’s vault for distribution Thursday morning to several banks.

Police said yesterday that two men are assisting them in the inquiries.

The security guards told police that they were held up by the gunmen when they stopped the van along Corinth Road, Ste Madeleine, to investigate what they thought was a blown tyre.

According to police reports around 8.40 pm the guards, Cpl Dhil Mohammed, 56, of Temples Street, La Romaine, ECs Ray Patterson, 33, the driver, of New Grant and Fyad Mohammed, 21, were transporting the money bags, eight large ones and six smaller ones which they had collected from banks in Port-of-Spain to the security firm’s Cipero Road branch at Victoria Village.

About a mile away from the San Fernando branch the guards said they felt the van pulling to one side, an indication that they might have a flat tyre.

The driver stopped and the three guards reportedly came out of the van and were checking the tyres when a car pulled up at the back of the van and two masked gunmen alighted.

Reports said the bandits accosted the guards and disarmed them of their 38 Magnum service revolvers. The armed men then ordered the guards into the van.

The driver was ordered to drive to a lonely track off Corinth Road, surrounded by canefields. There they were dealt several blows about their bodies and beaten with gun butts on their heads.

The guards’ hands were tied with pieces of plastic cord and they were left inside the van.

Police said the gunmen grabbed the eight large bags of money and escaped in the waiting car. Reports said the security guards managed to untie themselves and called Securicor for assistance.

The security firm contacted the Ste Madeleine police and a party of officers responded.

Investigators found the six small bags of money in the van.

One of the security guards, Mohammed, had to be taken for medical treatment at the San Fernando General Hospital where he was treated and warded under police guard.

Contacted yesterday, Brian Ramsey, manager of Securicor said that the facts relating to the incident were still scant, and he could give no details as the police were investigating the matter. However, he said that the insurance coverage was more than sufficient to cover the sum of money which was stolen. Sgt Parasram of the Ste Madeleine police is continuing investigations.