Sharjah: A violent gang has reportedly carried out four daring armed robberies that netted cash boxes filled with potentially millions of dirhams, Gulf News has learnt.
The highly organised thieves — believed to be a group of Nigerians in the UAE on visit visas — launched a string of attacks on armoured trucks delivering boxes of money to ATMs and at least one cash exchange outlet in Sharjah.
An official from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sharjah Police confirmed to Gulf News that members of the gang attacked security guards when they were taking cash boxes from their armoured vehicles.
Gulf News can confirm that the robberies took place in front of Al Safeer Mall in Al Nahda, as well as the UAE money exchange in Muweilah and at least two other locations in different areas of Sharjah.
Police said they believe the gang meticulously planned their crimes and left the crime scenes extremely quickly after seizing their ill-gotten gains.
The assailants fled each of the scenes before they could be accosted by authorities, police said.
The attackers, however, did not evade security cameras.
Police said they were able to recognise the attackers through surveillance camera footage captured at the exchange house and the mall.
Video footage shows the suspects drubbing the security guards and fleeing with cash boxes.
In one robbery, assailants slashed the hand of a security guard with a knife and ran away with boxes of money.
Police believe the suspects had monitored and tracked the armoured trucks moving the money for a period of time before launching the attack.
The investigation continues.
