Police believe that the robbers who made off with almost €1.1 million and close to Lm70,000 cash from the HSBC branch in Balzan on Friday had inside information, sources told The Sunday Times yesterday.
The gang of six thieves - five stormed the branch while the other waited in the getaway car - appeared to have had precise roles in the robbery.
One of the men herded the customers and kept them at gun point, and another blocked the automatic doors with wooden planks to ensure his accomplices were not locked inside. He stayed at the entrance to ensure nobody entered the branch, while the other three took the manager at gun point to open the safe and helped themselves to the contents.
Sources said one of the thieves had a stopwatch and kept track of the time. It took them less than five minutes to complete the robbery and make their getaway. They stashed the money into what appeared to be large canvas bags.
The robbers wore balaclavas. Four were armed with sawn-off shotguns and the other with a pistol. However, police are ruling out the possibility that they were foreigners because their Maltese accents were clearly distinguishable during the hold-up.
The sources remarked that the thieves must have known the bank's layout well as they headed straight to the manager's office and then to the strong room.
The vehicles used by the robbers were reported stolen in July and last month. A van was left in the middle of Main Street, some 200 metres away from the bank, blocking access to traffic coming from Birkirkara.
The robbers then sped drove off in the direction of San Anton Gardens and the vehicle was later found abandoned at Fleur-de-Lys. The Toyota van was reported stolen in July.
The money that was stolen forms part of the euro consignment that was shipped to Malta under tight security in October.
HSBC is offering a reward of Lm25,000 (€58,234) for information leading to the arrest and arraignment of the robbers.
Police are appealing to anyone with information to call 2122 4001. Calls will be treated in strict confidence.