Police probe armed robberies in eastern NP

Police probe armed robberies in eastern NP

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Authorities were searching over the weekend for the men believed to be responsible for three separate armed robberies in eastern New Providence on Friday.

In one of the incidents, a business was targeted.

According to police, two men, one of whom was armed with a gun, walked into a business on Malcolm Road around 4pm and held the cashier at gunpoint before robbing the business of an undisclosed amount of cash.

Just hours before, three men, one of whom was carrying a firearm, accosted a woman just outside of a business on Prince Charles Drive.

However, the woman screamed and “frightened the robbers” who fled east on Prince Charles, according to police.

Around 8am, two men robbed a man of cash and a cell phone at his residence on Taylor Street, Nassau Village.

After a lull in violent crimes during the 24-hour curfew and weekend lockdowns amid the peak of the coronavirus, police reports have been inundated with armed robberies in recent weeks — a trend observed during the first two and a half months of the year.

In February, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis acknowledged the increase in armed robberies and home invasions as he declared the government and relevant authorities will “get a handle of it and we will control it”.

Last week, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames acknowledged the knock-on effect of the continued easing of restrictions of the emergency orders.

He said the police force has ramped up its presence and expanded its strategic efforts in preparation for what could be an uptick in certain categories of crime.

Armed robbery increased 12 percent last year — from 474 matters in 2018 to 531 matters in 2019.