By FRANCIS JOSEPH
The attack on a 56-year-old woman outside of Adams on Saddle Road, Maraval, on Tuesday afternoon, has raised more questions than answers.
It is a fact that the victim, a businesswoman, had minutes before withdrawn $22,000 from a nearby bank before proceeding to Adams.
If one looks at the video of the robbery, it is certain that the four men in the Silver Tiida car were waiting on her. The fact is they followed her from the bank, thinking she was going to her home where they would pounce on her. But they had to wait. So they parked their car right next to hers in Adams car park.
As she was about to enter her vehicle, they pounced on her, beat her, stole her handbag with the money, as well as her phone and three bank cards. Eight men were arrested within hours after that robbery on Tuesday – four in Petit Valley and the other four in the North Coast Road.
The question is – how they did know she had withdrawn a large sum of money from that particular branch?
If one visits that branch, the area is small, so anyone lurking there and watching people withdraw money, would be easily visible. So it comes down to the next question – Was some employee of that bank in cahoots with the bandits?
So let us look at some recent robberies following withdrawals at banks.
- ($100,000 Robbery): In October 2026, an employee was robbed on Edward Street, Port-of-Spain, after withdrawing money from a bank on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook.
- ($94,000 Robbery): On June 18, 2026, a man walking towards First Citizens Bank on Maraval Road was robbed of approximately $40,000 in TT currency and US$7,800 (totaling around $94,000 TT equivalent) by two men in a gold Nissan Tiida.
- ($50,000 Robbery): On October 12, 2026, a 49-year-old man was struck on the head and robbed of $50,000 outside First Citizens Bank at the Diego Martin Borough Corporation compound.
- (Scotiabank Night Safe): In August 2026, an elderly couple was targeted and robbed of a business deposit bag while trying to access the Scotiabank night safe at Price Plaza.
- ($30,000 Robbery): On September 18, 2026, a woman walking towards East Gates Mall after leaving Republic Bank in Trincity was assaulted and robbed of a handbag containing $30,000 in cash.
It is certain, that these victims were monitored from inside the banks before they were attacked and robbed.
It takes me back a number of years when a certain individual was engaged in kidnapping rich persons for ransom. In the case of one man who was kidnapped and who related the incident after he was freed, the kidnapper told his victim that he wanted $500,000 for his safe release.
The victim told the kidnapper, who is now deceased, he did not have that kind of money. The kidnapper then told him that in his savings account, he had……..down to the last cent. The ransom was paid and the victim released. But he told his story.
When the police, at that time, did their checks, they traced it back to an employee of the bank.
The police intervened and the bank wanted no action, so they just fired the employee and the story ended there. The kidnappings dried up for this kidnapping and sometime later, he was killed.
Has anything changed?
Some persons within the banking sector, are in cahoots with these bandits…for obviously a cut in the money taken.
I remember some years ago, persons visiting a certain Members Club, were attacked as they reached home and their winnings taken. A sting operation was put in place by the police and the robbers were arrested and since then, there were no more reports of robberies from that Members Club.
So let us see how the police would now handle these robberies. It is almost certain, there are several groups of bandits operating here!
