:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/UVAE76ZHK5CZ7COVQSHN2EMIA4.png "Criminals rob a bank in the commercial center of Barranquilla")
On the morning of Thursday March 2, an attack took place, in the form of blockbuster, at the AV Villas bank branch, located on the first floor of the Alegra Park Mallcalle 30 with carrera 8, southeast of Barranquilla.
According to witnesses of what happened, two armed men intimidated people inside the bank to steal the money that was in the boxes. After stealing money, they left the site.
Although it has been reported on social media that the blockbuster would have ended in a shootout with the national police, the communication area of the mall and the company itself Police, They denied this version.
In the statement of Alegra Park Mallknown to the newspaper the herald of Barranquilla, the acts of violence presented were rejected and the administration of the commercial space clarified that there were no gunshots inside the bank or the commercial center and that no one had been injured. “Two people in shock were immediately taken care of by medical personnel,” the mall noted.
“The competent authorities were present at the shopping center and from this moment we give all the necessary support to the investigation. Likewise, we will be attentive to all the support that Banco AV Villas needs in this regard”, reads- on in the press release published by the regional media.
The first versions of what happened indicated that the thieves had fled on motorcycles driven by accomplices who were waiting for them on the outskirts of the Alegra Park Mall. It was also possible to establish that, so far, the authorities have not specified the amount of what was stolen and are analyzing security cameras to identify those responsible for the theft.
For now, the Barranquilla Town Hall did not rule on it.
It would be the second blockbuster which is featured in the Alegra Park Mall in less than a year. It should be recalled that on May 22, 2022, criminals arrived at the headquarters of the Social Housing Bank, located in the internal area of the mall and stole six million pesos. No one was hurt on that occasion either.
To protect the safety of citizens from Barranquillainside malls, the city’s Metropolitan Police launched a protection plan in November 2022.
“Continuing the different strategies that have been carried out to prevent crime, all our institutional capacity has been invested in the shopping centers of Barranquilla and its metropolitan area in order to guarantee the tranquility and safety of all”, they indicated from the command of the font. Metropolitan of Barranquilla at that time.
According to a police report, in 2022, 49 people were captured and five firearms seized for illegal actions within the shopping centers in Barranquilla. Similarly, 62,000,000 pesos, in goods stolen from shopping malls, were recovered.
“Nuestros hombres y mujeres policiales no solamente estarán en los commercial centers, sino en sus alrededores, nuestro único fin es realizar acompañamiento a las personas que realizan compras de fin de año, actividades financiers y acompañamiento a local comerciales”, anotaron las autoridades en noviembre Last year.
Recommendations from the authorities for people doing bank errands in malls.
– Do not neglect your business at any time.
– Do not seek help from third parties and do not reveal your card code when using ATMs.
– If you go with children, do not lose sight of them under any circumstances.
– Use shopping center car parks, do not leave your vehicles abandoned or parked in desolate places.
– Avoid withdrawing large sums of money, if you do, ask for the support of the National Police.