UPDATED MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 12:22 P.M.:

Two more people, said to be current Atlantis employees, have been picked up for questioning over the attempted robbery of the hotel's casino, The Tribune has learned. Police now have five men in custody over the botched heist.

UPDATED MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 9:43 A.M.:

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THREE former Atlantis surveillance employees are in police custody after allegedly attempting to rob the cashier’s cage in a botched heist at Atlantis Casino yesterday.

Immediately after the brazen daylight raid, management completely locked down the hotel and the Paradise Island bridges – not allowing anyone to leave or enter the property.

Three men, aged 24, 30 and 31, all reportedly Bahamian, were in police custody last night following the raid.

Sources said the men were former workers, although another source told The Tribune two were current staff.

The raid started when three men entered the casino’s main cashier’s cage in the basement at Coral Towers around noon on Sunday.

The bandits sprayed pepper spray or tear gas into the air forcing the cage workers to run for safety. The suspects then collected some money, climbed up to the ceiling and put the money into two bags which they had hidden there.

One suspect was caught in the cage and the others were nabbed in the corridor attempting to flee.

All the men were caught by Atlantis security who detained them until the police arrived.

Resort officials said the robbery attempt was not visible to casino patrons. It

occurred in an employee-only area behind the kiosks where people collect winnings.

Sixteen Atlantis workers were taken to hospital for treatment.

One Atlantis employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the hotel was on lock down for about half an hour after the botched robbery.

“We had to stay on our posts. No one could leave the hotel or enter. It was scary because we really did not know what was going on or if anyone was hurt. We just knew something happened.

“We heard the men may have worked here in the past and that’s how they came up with the idea to rob the place.

“It was so scary and we kept hearing stories about people being hurt. The most terrifying part was being right here during the time of the attempted robbery and right after and not knowing a thing.

“We didn’t know if the guys were still here, if they were armed, if they had hostages, nothing.”

Sources said the men allegedly worked in surveillance and other departments of the Atlantis resort. A worker, who claimed that two of the men were current employees, told The Tribune that the men, not to attract attention, had dressed in the dark blue jump suits of the engineering department.

They were allegedly also working with another man who rented a room in Coral Towers to stake out the surroundings.

The employee said that one of the men was in the roof screwing out the screws in the top of the cashier’s cage so that he could jump down into it, while another stayed in the casino to give the signal and distract attention from the cage.

Something was sprayed from a canister - “either pepper spray or tear gas” – it got into the air vents, and “people were coughing and sneezing and some even passed out. Four ambulances were here to take them to hospital,” said the employee.

He said when the would-be robber in the ceiling jumped down into the cage, where the cashier had been counting the money, she too was coughing and sneezing, but was able to press the panic button, which sounded the alarm, and shut down the casino. Police quickly surrounded the casino, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The bridges were quickly closed.

One commentator said on Facebook: “Pandemonium! That’s what the guest called it. She said ‘what’s going on? Why so many people running out of the casino, screaming? Then sirens and the exit bridge was blocked, every Atlantis security member ran to the basement, every restaurant emptied of guests and staff, all wondering why the sirens, why the police cars?”

In a statement from the resort, Atlantis representatives thanked hotel security and the police for their quick action.

“At 12.05pm today (Sunday) three perpetrators attempted to rob the cashier’s cage in the casino after releasing a noxious substance into the cage.  They were quickly apprehended by Atlantis security and taken into custody by the Royal Bahamas Police Force,” the statement said.

“Sixteen employees were taken to the hospital for precautionary measures only and treatment for exposure to pepper-spray. They are all expected to be released shortly.  We want to thank the Atlantis security team, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Bahamas emergency services for their quick response and professionalism in this matter.”

Kerzner International executive George Markantonis said security teams “did an outstanding job in apprehending the perpetrators.”

Assistant Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said police were still trying to determine whether the men were former or current employees of Kerzner International. Mr Ferguson said no one was seriously harmed during the raid and no money was stolen.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 1:32PM:

Reports have reached The Tribune of an attempted armed robbery at the Atlantis casino this afternoon. Details are sketchy, but it appears the casino cash cage was targeted. Police have one Bahamian man in custody and traffic to and from Paradise Island was affected as a result of the incident. Tourists were also ordered to leave the casino immediately after.

More details as they become available.