CLAREMONT, St. Ann:
TWO MEN, one armed with a handgun, staged a robbery along the Orange Park main road in St. Ann and escaped with over $400,000 in cash and over $18 million in cheques belonging to National Meats Distributor Ltd. on Monday.
Police reports are that about 1:15 p.m., a bearer employed to National Meats, along with an accountant and a co-worker were on their way to Ocho Rios to make a lodgement at a commercial bank, when on reaching a section of the Orange Park Main Road, the driver of the vehicle was tricked into stopping by a man posing as a flagman. As the Toyoto Corolla stopped, the flagman and a gunman forced themselves into the vehicle and ordered the driver to take them to a lonely section off the main road.
The robbers then tied the passengers with electrical tapes and made their escape.
One of the employees later managed to free himself and then his colleagues. A report was made to the Claremont police, who along with policemen from other stations, carried out a search of the area.
The National Meats vehicle which the robbers used for their getaway, was recovered about 1/2 a mile away in the nearby Murphy Hill area. The police theorised that the robbers had another vehicle parked nearby.
Statements were collected from the three occupants and the police are investigating.
Attempts by The Gleaner to get a comment from National Meats were unsuccessful.
Constabulary Communication Network Officer for St. Ann, Courtney Johnson is advising that business persons who are conveying large sums of money, secure the services of a security guard company or contact the local police. Mr Johnson was quick to add that this service would be provided free of cost.
Robbers also staged a robbery about 2 years ago along the Orange Park main road, which has now become a favourite stakeout for criminals, where a vehicle carrying employees of Three C's Company Ltd and money for bank lodgement were also stolen.
