Police search for two suspects in gas station armed robberies

AMMAN — Police on Thursday said they are searching for two men who reportedly robbed two gas stations in Amman and Madaba earlier in the day.

Two gunmen are alleged to have held the employees of the two gas stations at gunpoint and robbed them of around JD410 in cash, Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said. 

“The suspects, one holding a pump-action rifle and another with a pistol, took the cash kept in the gas stations. No one was injured,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

Gas Stations Owners Association (GSOA) President Nahar  Seidat told The Jordan Times that the incident occurred at dawn, when the traffic was quiet and the area was calm.

“The two suspects began their robbery spree at the station near Queen Alia Airport Highway, where they stole JD210, then continued to a gas station in Madaba, where they collected JD200 in cash,” Seidat said.

He added that “police’s response was quick and efficient”.

“Investigators rushed to the stations, where they reviewed the camera recordings, interviewed the employees and searched for clues,” Seidat said.

The GSOA president said “gas stations’ employees are instructed not to leave large amounts of cash [in the premises] and the incidents at dawn are considered rare in this kind of business”.

According to Seidat, the punishment for these armed robberies could reach seven years in prison.

“I would like to urge the police to increase their patrols around stations in the Kingdom, and for gas station owners to instal cameras and never leave large amounts of cash,” Seidat said.

Sartawi said an investigation is under way to catch the suspects.