Thieves spray-paint cameras, steal $8m from Western Union in St Mary
ST MARY, Jamaica – Thieves made off with almost $8 million in Jamaican and foreign currencies after breaking into a Western Union outlet in Oracabessa, St Mary on Tuesday morning.
The culprits reportedly spray painted the CCTV cameras and pried the grille to the outlet before making off with a vault containing the cash, police said.
The stolen money consisted of J$6,422,146; US$5,935; C$700; 1,720 Pounds Sterling and Euro$670.
Superintendent Bobette Morgan-Simpson, the commanding officer for the St Mary police, said the robbers were fully masked.
“It was well planned and well executed so we have no idea who these persons are,” Supt Morgan Simpson told OBSERVER ONLINE.
The police reported that Monday evening, the outlet supervisor checked the day’s transaction, placed the money in a vault, locked it and the business place and went home.
About 3:28 am, the Hawkeye Security response team received an alert from Western Union, went to the location and observed that the grilles to the building were pried.
The police were summoned, and it was observed that the robbers spray-painted the CCTV cameras on the building with black paint.
The police discovered that the robbers pried the grilles that led to the upstairs of the building where the Western Union is located, and also the grille at the entrance of the outlet.
The robbers then entered, ransacked the outlet, and stole the vault containing the cash.
