By FRANK RAI
THE Aviat Club in Lae lost its weekend takings to thugs who held up its staff at gun point and drove away with more than K20,000 in cash yesterday morning.
The incident happened when the staff, a woman and three men including the driver, were taking the money to the bank.
According to reports, the staff were driving out from the club when they were held at gun point in front of the main gate at 10am.
One of the staff who was sitting inside the truck told The National that seven men approached the vehicle from the Tusa private clinic with a high powered firearm, two pistols, one home-made gun and bush knives.
The staff who wished to remain anonymous said while the driver was giving way to an approaching vehicle, the thugs closed in and held them up.
The staff said one of the thugs approached and demanded for the money bag.
“The money bag was under my feet and by the looks of it, they (thugs) knew what they were looking for,” the staff said.
“They asked me for the money bag and I told them where the money was because I felt the barrel of the gun on my head.
“I was already shivering, and all of us in the vehicle could not talk.”
The police task force later found the vehicle at Boundary road.
Lae Metropolitan Supt Nema Mondiai said investigations were underway and arrests would be made soon since the identities of the robbers were known to the staff.