Issued 10am, Friday 16 May 2003

Strike Force Castles, a joint State Crime Command and Metropolitan Robbery Unit investigation, is seeking public information concerning a spate of armed robberies committed in the Sydney metropolitan area by offenders wielding sledge hammers and jemmy bars.

Five banks have been targeted over the past two weeks:

•  ANZ Bank, Boundary Street, Mortdale  (Tuesday April 29)
•  ANZ Bank, Whiting Street, Artarmon     (Friday May 2)
• Commonwealth Bank, Concord Road, North Strathfield (Wednesday May 7)
• Commonwealth Bank, Pittwater Road, Narrabeen (Thursday May 8
• Westpac Bank, Great North Road, Five Dock (Tuesday May 13) 

In each attack, three offenders armed and wearing balaclavas terrorised bank staff and customers. On two occasions, they escaped with large sums of cash.

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