During a guest appearance on TTT’s Focus public affairs program this past Saturday, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander issued a formal public call for all local financial institutions to conduct a full top-to-bottom review of their operational and customer safety frameworks, in response to a sharp, documented rise in violent robberies targeting individuals immediately after they complete large cash withdrawals. Alexander laid out two distinct, verified vectors that criminal networks are exploiting to target victims, the first being visible surveillance of bank premises by operatives posing as routine customers, and the second, far more concerning risk of insider information leaks from bank staff who have been cultivated by criminal groups to share sensitive transaction details. Citing recent public data compiled by the Sunday Express, the minister noted that at least seven separate targeted robbery incidents have been reported so far this year, with a combined total of $380,500 stolen from assaulted victims. The two most recent high-profile cases saw female customers attacked and robbed shortly after completing large cash withdrawals at separate bank branches in Maraval and Trincity, with law enforcement confirming preliminary investigations indicate both women were identified inside their respective branches and followed by assailants who struck as soon as they exited the premises. To curb the risk of on-site surveillance, Alexander mandated that banks immediately relocate all cash-counting machines away from public corridors and high-foot-traffic customer areas, where bystanders can easily view the exact sums of money customers are handling. He also emphasized that banks must implement stricter access controls to ensure all transaction-related customer data is restricted exclusively to authorized staff directly involved in processing the account activity, eliminating exposure to unauthorized personnel or external visitors. Addressing the insider leak risk, the minister stressed that financial institutions bear full responsibility for vetting staff access to sensitive customer records and upholding the highest standards of data integrity for employees entrusted with private financial information, noting that criminals have demonstrated a pattern of recruiting insiders to share advance details of planned large deposits and withdrawals that allow them to target victims with near-perfect prior knowledge of the cash they are carrying. Beyond institutional reforms, Alexander laid out a suite of targeted guidance for the public and business community to reduce their personal risk. He strongly encouraged widespread adoption of online and digital banking tools to eliminate the need for customers to carry large sums of physical cash entirely, noting that while elderly users and other less digitally literate groups may require dedicated onboarding support to use these platforms safely, electronic fund transfers drastically cut the risk of violent robbery during transit. For businesses that still need to handle large volumes of cash for operational purposes, Alexander recommended that larger enterprises with sufficient budgets contract licensed private security firms for cash pickup and transport services, while acknowledging that small and medium-sized businesses with limited resources would need to explore alternative mitigation steps. He also advised all regular banking customers to avoid establishing rigid, predictable routines for their bank visits, such as travelling to the branch at the exact same time on the same day every week, as this pattern allows criminal surveillance teams to easily anticipate their movements. Finally, he urged local business owners to build collaborative, proactive relationships with their neighborhood police divisions, to streamline access to timely security support and rapid response in the event of suspicious activity related to their banking trips.