Suspect arrested in bank robbery case, half of stolen cash recovered

AMMAN — Police on Wednesday said they arrested a suspect in connection with the armed robbery of a local Amman bank earlier in the week.

Authorities also retrieved half of the stolen cash, according to Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi.

Two armed and masked men reportedly entered a bank in the Mahatta neighbourhood on Sunday, stole an undisclosed amount of cash, then fled.

Other officials stated the stolen amount was around JD59,000.

"A special team tasked with investigating the incident was able to identify one of the two men, who informed them that he robbed the bank with the help of his friend. Police are now searching for the other suspect," Sartawi told The Jordan Times. 

The suspect reportedly ushered investigators to the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery, tools employed in robbing the bank and half of the stolen cash, according to Sartawi.

A video purportedly showing two men jumping from a vehicle and entering an establishment went viral shortly after the robbery.

Another video purportedly shows the two men threatening bank employees, one of them going behind the counter and stashing what appears to be cash in a black bag he was holding.

The video footage then shows the two suspects rushing towards their car, which was double parked, and leaving the scene as three men in suits chase the vehicle. 

A Public Security Department statement referred to a recent State Security Court (SSC) sentence for bank robbery, which specifies a maximum of 15 years in prison. 

The SSC considers bank robbery an offence that endangers the safety of society, disturbs public order, spreads fear among citizens, endangers the lives of bank employees and jeopardises economic resources.

 A senior bank official told The Jordan Times on Sunday that cash in banks is "usually insured".

"Employees at banks, especially tellers, are instructed not to resist anyone who robs the bank at gunpoint. The safety of the bank employees is the priority of all financial establishments," the bank official, who preferred not to be identified, said.

Sunday’s robbery was the sixth incident targetting a local bank in the Kingdom since the beginning of the year. Police managed to arrest the majority of the suspects and retrieve most of the stolen cash.

In 2018, one money exchange shop and eight banks were targetted in Jordan. In some of these cases, the robbers were armed or used fake weapons.

Seven of the nine suspected robbers have been arrested so far, while two suspects, who escaped with over JD105,000 in cash from two banks in the Wihdat neighbourhood and in Irbid, remain at large.