Armed gang get away with £100,000 in latest raid on security van

Published on Tuesday 3 March 2009 21:11

ROBBERS have escaped with more than £100,000 in the latest in a rising tide of attacks on security guards delivering money to cash machines in Scotland.

The masked men threatened guards with a gun in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, early yesterday, the 12th attack in Strathclyde in six months.

The latest Scotland-wide figures show such attacks increased by nearly two thirds from eight to 13 in the first half of last year compared with 2007.

Last year, there were 16 incidents within three months in Strathclyde.

Police believe the increase in attacks may be partially linked to English gangs moving into Scotland from previous hotspots such as London, Liverpool and Manchester.

However, officers said some robbers did not realise almost all cash boxes were protected with dye which makes bank notes unusable if they are forced open. Dye protection is believed to have been withdrawn for a time, but has been reintroduced.

Strathclyde Police said the three men involved in the Uddingston robbery may have been involved in previous incidents.

It comes 11 days after a total of 40,000 was stolen in two attacks on cash machine deliveries in Glasgow on the same day.

In the Uddingston attack, two security guards were attacked at a branch of the Bank of Scotland at 12:45am.

The robbers got out of a silver BMW 1 series car, driven by a third man, and forced the guards to open the safe. The staff were left badly shaken but uninjured.

The two men were both described as about 5ft 8in tall, wearing dark tops, light jeans, white trainers and dark-coloured balaclavas, and spoke with local accents.

Detective Inspector Robert Hendren, who is leading the investigation, said: "We are committed to tracing those responsible for this robbery and will use every means at our disposal to do so."

Mr Hendren said Strathclyde, which has launched Operation Armada against such robberies, had one of the best detection rates in the UK, with more than half being solved. He said three trials were pending.

The British Security Industry Association said there was no single cause for the increase in attacks in Scotland.

However, it said the number of incidents may have been lower than in England in the past because Scottish bank notes were more difficult to launder.

A spokeswoman said: "Historically, there have been fewer cash in transit attacks in Scotland and this may be because of the different bank notes or because the 'centres of expertise' for this kind of crime lie elsewhere."

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said it was working closely with banks and the security industry to tackle the problem.

A spokesman said: "Businesses that transfer substantial amounts of cash need to ensure they have secure cash delivery facilities and procedures, share information with police regarding their transfers, and boost training for workers who may be involved in the cash transfer."