What looked like an ordinary traffic stop turned into a nightmare for a contractor on Friday afternoon when two gunmen staged a bogus roadblock and made off with thousands of dollars in cash.
The incident happened shortly after 1 p.m. along Sir Andy Roberts Drive. The contractor was driving when he came upon traffic cones in the road and two men in reflector vests signaling him to stop. Believing it to be legitimate, he slowed down only to be pulled from his vehicle at gunpoint.
The thieves escaped with his payroll of more than $19,000, his mobile phone, and his Jeep. While the vehicle was later recovered in Cades Bay, the cash and cellphone have not been found.
Investigations into the armed robbery are continuing.
This incident is truly frightening because it shows how far criminals are willing to go to trick innocent people. Most of us were raised to respect traffic authorities and stop when flagged down, especially when we see cones and reflector vests. Now, it seems we have to second guess even that.More fightening each day in this country. The boldness of these gunmen is alarming. If they can pull off something like this in broad daylight, on a public road, it means they have no fear of being caught. I really hope the police take this seriously and not just issue a statement. We need more patrols and visible presence on our main roads to deter these types of attacks.
INSIDE JOB!! They had information about that payroll money! The lengths they went to, to get that cash, means they knew it was a big haul!! Some one of his employees are in on this!!! They should start there!
With all these robberies and murders and home invasions in this our once peaceful island home, my husband and I are rethinking our retirement plans.
There is no deterant in Antigua, the Police will release perpitrators of cutlass attacks hours after arresting them and return the cutlass to them, even with video evidence of an assault they do not press charges, in the USA you don’t leave jail until you’ve had your trial in cases of attack with a deadly weapon / attemped murder.
Policing against violent crime in Antigua is a joke.
Wtf. That’s why I drive with my doors locked and windows up. If u want to talk I will crack my window and peep thru.
Big broad daylight like that somebody would have had to see something.
As a business man doesn’t he himself own a firearm
Somebody talked,how they knew he had that amount on him in cash.They should question his workers and keep track on them
So bold and brazen!! Definitely an inside job. Are the police in Antigua sophisticated enough to deal with this?
Well from now on I’m raming through street signs. Nonesence this is
And sometimes it is the same people on the job that doing these kinds of things. When wickedness is so prominent on the land Jesus is on his way. I will enjoy the bitterness because the sweetness thats coming after will overtake any bad taste. Sad but true
As a former construction worker, who was also a contractor and now not in the business because of a major injury, my heart goes out to this contractor bro. Not only did he lose thousands of dollars, but he also went through a terrifying experience that will probably stay with him for life. It is easy for some people to say “he should have known better” or “he should not have been carrying so much cash.” But let’s be real: many small contractors don’t have the luxury of electronic transfers or fancy security. They often pay workers in cash and have to move large sums for business. He was just trying to do his job, and instead he was traumatized. We need to show empathy and push for better safety measures to protect hardworking people like him.
This morning I woke up feeling horrible and after reading this I feel worserer as Antiguans would say. It’s becoming more and more dangerous just to move around the island. Imagine going about your daily work, driving to earn an honest living, and then falling victim to such a cruel scheme. The level of planning these criminals put into this robbery cones, reflector vests, a staged roadblock shows they studied the system and used it against us. What worries me most is the next time we see a legitimate roadblock, some people might hesitate to stop out of fear. This undermines trust in actual law enforcement and could create chaos. Authorities need to come up with a way for us to identify real operations from fake ones, maybe with special signage or advance notices to the public.
SIGH!!!! Incidents like this are proof that criminals are getting more organized and more daring. Robberies are no longer just quick snatch-and-grab crimes. These men put together a whole setup and executed it like professionals. That tells me we are dealing with a bigger problem than just “petty crime.” The justice system needs to respond accordingly. Too many times we see people caught, only to get bail and be back on the street in no time. The punishment has to fit the crime if we want to send a real message. If you’re willing to put someone’s life at risk for money, you should face severe consequences
A new level of wickedness….People should be on the alert. These criminals nah play. Doh play either
The cruelty of human minds in this day and age! They knew his route and knew how to get that money. Thats why these days you have to always have your window up. This world is not safe anymore and you have to safe guard yourself, might appear as frightened or scared but the way this world is coming, it’s better to be that way
The type of things we face in today’s world is beyond me…. A man can’t even be safe in his country! Now workers are waiting for their money
This is extremely frightening. Imagine driving along the road and being forced to stop at what looks like an official roadblock, only to realize it’s criminals using it as a setup. It shows just how bold and organized these criminals have become. The authorities need to move quickly to reassure the public and put measures in place to prevent this from happening again. If roadblocks can be faked, then ordinary citizens have no way of knowing who to trust.