A swift intervention by a Police Patrol team in the early hours of Friday foiled a robbery attempt on the Microfin Rural Bank at Pomadze, opposite Perez University Junction in the Central Region.
The incident, which occurred around 1:50 a.m., involved a group of armed robbers who broke into the bank and tied up four security men on duty inside the banking hall.
Chief Inspector Isaac Ettie, Public Relations Officer of the Central Regional Police Command, said the patrol team received a distress call that armed men in face masks were attacking the bank.
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The team rushed to the scene and engaged the robbers in a gun battle.
"The armed men, upon sighting the police, opened fire and bullets struck the front of the patrol vehicle. Fortunately, no one sustained injury.
The police returned fire, forcing the robbers to flee," Chief Inspector Ettie told reporters.
A search of the premises revealed the four tied-up security guards and several items believed to have been used for the attempted robbery.
These included a welding-cutting machine, screwdriver, two empty BB cartridges, spent shells, two iron bars, a saw blade, two sharp cutting plates, two padlocks, a pump-action gun with cartridges, and a set of door lockers.
All entrances and exits of the bank had been broken by the robbers. However, spot investigations confirmed that no money was stolen due to the timely police intervention.
Chief Inspector Ettie assured that the Command had intensified efforts to track down the culprits and bring them to justice.
