Masked robbers strike at Puerto Rico casino

September 17th, 2011 - 12:28 pm ICT by IANS  

San Juan, Sep 17 (IANS/EFE) Five heavily armed assailants wearing masks made off with over $85,000 from a casino in the northern coastal town of Rio Grande, Puerto Rican police said Friday.

None of the roughly 40 patrons and employees inside the casino at the time of Thursday night’s robbery were hurt.

Authorities have no leads yet, said Puerto Rico police chief Emilio Diaz Colon.

Puerto Rico is in the midst of a crime wave marked by a dozen murders a week on average and numerous armed robberies.

Authorities attribute most of the mayhem to turf battles over control of the illegal drug trade in public housing complexes, yet the violence has also spread into upscale neighbourhoods favoured by tourists.

–IANS/EFE
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