Remittance company robbed in broad daylight

"Today a the worst day a my life."

That was a bold confession of a teller employed to the Alliance MoneyGram outlet located on the Portmore Mall, hours after the establishment was robbed of an undetermined sum of cash yesterday. The teller was one of four employees that were visibly traumatised by the events that unfolded just an hour after they opened their doors.

Passers-by who converged to the busy shopping centre to conduct their business were equally concerned, startled by the presence of police officers and security guards, and yellow tape that cordoned off the entrance of the building, where the attack happened.

"Rahtid! Den yuh couldn't tell me say me couldn't walk this side? A wah gwan ina the mall?" one elderly woman expressed.

Earle Grant, deputy superintendent of police, informed the news team that at 11:15 a.m., two armed men, one dressed in construction reflector vest and mask, walked into the remittance company demanding money from the tellers.

"A security guard who was on duty observed what was happening, also interacting with one of the men, who demanded that he opened the door. In an attempt to do so, there was an exchange of gunfire between the security guard and the gunmen, one of whom we believe to be hit as a result of the gunfire. They both escaped with an undetermined sum of cash, some of which fell on the floor. They both escaped in a waiting motor car [and] the motor car has since been recovered by the police and we observed within the car, that there were bloodstains," Grant said.

Grant, who is the commanding officer for zone 2 within the St Catherine South Police Division, added that the police have already taken a suspect in custody for questioning. He added that the getaway vehicle was discovered in Westmeade in Portmore.

"We believe that they went somewhere underground to nurse their injuries. But we are asking persons out there, who know these individuals, who know where they are to communicate with the police," he urged. Grant shared that none of the tellers were injured.

A security guard stationed near to the remittance company, who has been employed to the shopping mall for nearly a decade, told THE STAR that the robbery was the first of its kind that he has witnessed.