We have read and heard a lot about muggers who target people leaving banks and company representatives delegated with the task of depositing or withdrawing huge amounts of cash. The victims tend to be people carrying hundreds of thousands of riyals. The assailants, who often carry knives and guns, are not hesitant to shoot or stab their victims.
I recently read a story of someone who was robbed carrying over SR300,000. Thieves monitor people entering and leaving banks with substantial amounts of money. The person I read about was lucky in that he suffered no injuries; police also arrested his attackers and recovered the stolen sum.
Carrying a large amount of money alone while exiting a bank is extremely dangerous. I remember a story of a man who withdrew SR800,000 to pay the contractors who were completing an apartment building of his. He thought it best to pay cash and so visited the bank to withdraw the money.
Speaking to reporters, the man described his dilemma: he was not even sure whether his attackers got the money or not. Lying in wait outside was a gang who saw the man making the enormous withdrawal.
A couple of the gang members picked a fight with the man to make the robbery look like a dispute. The rest of the gang members then acted as intermediaries trying to separate them.
In the ensuing confusion one of the men took the cash and escaped.
There are many sad stories of people robbed having left a bank with their home refurbishment loans.
What happens to the victims? Their dream of building a home is shattered and, instead of bringing joy to themselves and their families, they are left cringing on how to pay back the loans. The public must be educated about the danger of carrying too much money with them.
