Armed criminals ransack ATM, walk away with safe

A BANK South Pacific ATM in Hagita, Milne Bay, was ransacked in the early hours of Tuesday, with its safe taken away by armed criminals.
Southern region police command Assistant Commissioner Allan Kundi said yesterday that two employees of an oil palm company were injured and admitted to the Alotau General Hospital.
“The gang had used a battery operated grinder and hacksaw to cut open the steel cabinet of the ATM at the Hagita Oil Palm estate at 3am on Tuesday,” Kundi said.
“They then got the money and escaped towards the border of Milne Bay and Central.”
He said they abandoned the vehicle there and may have crossed into Central.
BSP general manager, retail, Paul Thornton, expressed disappointment, saying they would not replace the ATM until security in the area improves. “We would also like to express our disappointment at yet another violent robbery in the province,” Thornton said.
“This incident follows an armed robbery outside our Alotau branch in December during which two people died at our Padipadi sub branch. BSP takes banking to all provinces of PNG as well as to many districts.”
He said criminal attacks such as this results in important community services being disrupted and holds back the economic development of rural people who are
deprived access to financial services.