Betting shop robbed

A CRIMINAL gang pretending to be policemen and Labour Department officers robbed a Port Moresby betting shop of its weekend takings on Monday.
The robbers drove into the premises and used the security access card to gain entry into the premises and headed straight to the office and took the weekend takings in money bags and walked out.
National Capital District Met Sup Benjamin Turi said: “A 10-seater with two men dressed in police uniforms escorted the armed men in a grey CRV.
“They went into the office with guns and ordered the manager to open the safe.
“They got his (manager’s) phone and wounded him on the shoulder and then got away with over K70,000 in cash.”
Turi said he did now know how the criminals had obtained the security card.
He warned that people should not open doors or entertain men in police uniform and driving unmarked vehicles. He cautioned business houses not to entertain any policeman visiting them with court orders but showing no proof or letters from his office.
“Call us before you open the door.”
He said the Police Department would soon be using marked vehicles with police stripes to cut down on such incidents.
“We will separate the sheep from the goats, from there we will now know who is a sheep and who is a goat.”
Turi urged all businesses dealing with large sums of money to bank them as soon as possible and also to have cameras installed in their premises and outsource security services from well-established companies.
“It is important for cameras to be installed at different sections in the buildings so when situations like that arise, it would be easy for us to trace the suspects,” Turi said.