Major Police Inquiry Follows Multimillion-Dollar Scotiabank Portmore ATM Vault Theft

A high-level police investigation is under way into what authorities describe as a carefully planned, multimillion-dollar theft at Scotiabank's Portmore location in St Catherine. Investigators say the culprits are thought to have used valid security access codes to reach the automated banking machine servicing room and remove a sum of cash that has not yet been quantified.

The incident came to light on Sunday morning during routine rounds, when a security guard noticed the servicing room door standing open and notified bank management. Detectives estimate the intruders entered the compound at some point between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

According to reports, closed-circuit footage captured several men clad in black and wearing gloves arriving in a grey Nissan Latio with a concealed licence plate before they moved into the restricted area. Officers noted no evidence of forced entry. The guard is said to have found the door slightly ajar, held open by a small stone.

Police allege the men used access codes to unlock four ABM safes and fled with the contents. The precise value of the haul remains unknown. Early findings point to a deliberate focus on machines holding the heaviest cash loads. Only cassettes stocked with higher Jamaican dollar notes and United States currency were cleared, suggesting the offenders had detailed knowledge of the vault layout.

Individuals acquainted with the branch's cash-handling arrangements indicated that each of the four safes can store in excess of $20 million. The servicing room is off limits to regular bank staff and is maintained by Beryllium Limited, the firm contracted to service Scotiabank's ABM network.

In the aftermath, patrons across Portmore have complained of trouble withdrawing cash from area machines. Scotiabank has not said when full ABM service will return. Forensic teams worked the scene on Sunday while detectives pressed ahead with efforts to determine how the suspects breached the tightly controlled space. The inquiry remains active.