Colombian Police Capture Thief Following Golden Jack Casino Heist

Posted on: February 1, 2023, 10:56h. 

Last updated on: February 1, 2023, 11:25h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Thieves carried out an early morning robbery of the Golden Jack Casino in Casanare, Colombia, on Tuesday, but won’t get far. Police have already caught one of the crooks and know the identification of the second, which should make his capture easy.

Colombian police officers on a motorcycle
Colombian police officers on a motorcycle patrol. Police in Casanare have arrested one suspect and are looking for another in connection to a robbery at a local casino. (Image: Getty Images)

Two subjects took advantage of the fact the casino manager arrived in the morning hours to carry out the cash count. When he entered the premises, so did they, taking him by surprise.

Using a firearm, they threatened the manager and hit him on the head, causing serious injury. The suspects then took the money and ran. But a swift police response and canvassing of the area helped solve the case before it possibly got worse.

One Crook Down, One To Go

Once the subjects fled and the police received the alert, an operation began across the municipality to locate the crooks. They had made their getaway on a motorcycle, but the police had a few leads. They knew what the thieves were wearing and in which direction they were headed.

Police combed the area immediately after the call, and with the help of local surveillance footage, were hot on the trail of the suspects. They descended on the last known location of the crooks. and through information from the community, found the motorcycle in a public establishment.

The subjects, according to the police, became spooked and fled through a wooded area. They left behind the motorcycle and a backpack with part of the money.

Running the plates on the bike, police found the owner and paid him a visit at home. The unidentified person reportedly had nothing to do with the heist, telling the cops that he had lent the bike to an acquaintance.

They must not have been too tight, because the man gave up the acquaintance’s details. With that, the police went to the address, and with the help of the subject’s father, convinced him to turn himself in.

That left one of the criminals still on the loose. Police have already identified him and the search is underway.

Amount Stolen Unknown

It’s been difficult for police to pinpoint how much money the thieves took. Initially and unofficially, it was reported that they stole around COP50 million (US$10,720). The casino later told police that they only made off with around COP13 million (US$2,787).

The police indicated that they recovered just over COP5 million (US$1,072) from the suspect they arrested. He tried to tell the cops that he had all the money they had taken. As a result, the police still can’t get to the bottom of the case and find out what really happened. They’ll keep working on it while the suspect they captured sits in a jail cell.

A similar heist took place just a month earlier in another city in Colombia. No one was hurt in that incident.

On the other side of the country, in the southern part of Montería, seven armed men on a motorcycle hit a local casino. They threatened and tied up employees before stealing anything that wasn’t tied down. Just like in the Casanare heist, police couldn’t figure out how much money they stole from the property.