Three men, 18, one boy, 17, accused of armoured car and bank heists
Guard held at gunpoint in Scarborough, firearm stolen
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Three young men and one boy faces dozen of charges for allegedly stealing numerous vehicles, holding up a bank and robbing an armoured car in the city and west of the GTA in recent weeks.
Toronto Police say three masked bandits armed with guns and a large knife entered a bank in Drumbo — a village about 30 kilometres southwest of Kitchener — on Jan. 19.
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“They pointed guns at victims while a fourth suspect waited in a stolen getaway vehicle close by,” acting Insp. Shawn Getty, of the Holdup Unit, said in a statement released Wednesday.
He said the bandits “used threats and demanded cash.”
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“Once cash was handed over, they fled the area in their getaway vehicle,” Getty said.
The same crew is believed to be behind another frightening heist in Scarborough on Feb. 2.
In that incident, three masked crooks “ambushed” two armoured car guards as they exited a bank near Morningside and Milner Aves.
“One guard was able to lock himself in the truck while the other was disarmed and held at gunpoint outside,” Getty said, explaining the bandits “demanded cash from the guard inside the truck.”
“Once they realized an alarm was triggered, they fled to their stolen vehicle, taking the guard’s gun with them,” Getty said.
Following a joint investigation between Toronto cops, Waterloo Regional Police and Ontario Provincial Police, numerous suspects were identified.
Getty said the group of suspects were located in an allegedly stolen vehicle in Toronto and taken into custody on Saturday.
Police executed six search warrants in Waterloo and various Toronto neighbourhoods.
Those searches allegedly led to the seizure of evidence related to the robberies, a replica handgun, a loaded semi-automatic assault rifle and cash.
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With assistance from the OPP, Getty said further investigation also led to the recovery of the guard’s stolen firearm in the Toronto area.
Shahroze Raja, 18, Ismael Isse, 18, and a 17-year-old boy, all of Kitchener, face a slew of robbery and gun-related charges.
The fourth suspect — Imran Kayani, 22, of Brampton — is charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to call the Holdup Unit at 416-808-7350 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
On Twitter: @SunDoucette
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