Masked men tie up employees, beat security guard; police say robbery was planned in advance.
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Two masked men stole NIS 2 million from a branch of Bank Hapoalim in Netanya early Wednesday morning, Army Radio reported.
The two burst in just as the first six employees arrived and were opening up the bank, tied their hands, and led them to a back room. They also beat the security guard and took the keys to the safe, after which they escaped with the cash.
The employees were discovered when the morning's first customers entered the bank. Witnesses told police that the two robbers spoke fluent Hebrew and that their body language indicated they had "seen more than a few action movies," Israel Radio reported.
Police said it was unclear whether the perpetrators entered the bank as it was opening Wednesday, or whether they had hidden on the premises overnight. However, they said, the robbery appeared to have been meticulously planned, as the pair knew where the keys were kept and knew when large sums of cash would be available.
A helicopter was called to help police sweep the area, but by the time the crime was discovered, the robbers appeared to have fled. Police were reviewing security tapes of the event.
Two weeks ago, in another violent robbery, three youths held up a bus driver in Hadera, escaping with his bag, which contained NIS 2,000 in cash and bus tickets. The youths tied the driver's hands but he managed to free himself.
Recently, a number of incidents have also been reported in which elderly people were accosted, beaten, and robbed, often in their own homes.
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