A security guard and the courier, from Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) (Norsk Folkehjelp), were held up by two men when leaving the bank, writes Aftenposten.
They were threatened with a pistol and thus turned over around NOK 400,000 in cash (about USD 60,000). Most of the money was meant to cover welfare payments, but at least some of it was earmarked for special holiday aid and festivities for scores of people waiting for their asylum applications to be reviewed.
The robbers also seized the car driven by the People’s Aid courier and the security guard, and used it as their getaway vehicle.
While it’s unusual to handle so much cash, People’s Aid hasn’t had much choice. Most banks in Norway don’t want to set up accounts for people who may not be able to remain in the country.
Aid workers thus make their client’s welfare payments in cash, distributing it to their clients twice a month. They’ve long been worried about adequate security.
(Sourse Aftenposten)
