By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

A MALE tourist was robbed of a rental scooter while at West Bay Street, police said.

This incident occurred less than three weeks after two tourists were robbed in the same area.

Although Sunday's robbery follows what has appeared to be a cluster of armed robberies in the capital, police press liaison officer Superintendent Shanta Knowles told The Tribune yesterday there has not necessarily been an uptick in these types of crimes.

Shortly after 4pm on Sunday the tourist was riding a rental scooter on West Bay Street in the area of Go Slow Bend, when he was forced to stop by two men on another scooter.

According to police one of the men pulled the tourist from the scooter before getting on it. Both men then sped away. Supt Knowles confirmed nothing else was taken from the tourist.

On June 25, two tourists, a man and woman, were also robbed on West Bay Street.

The incident occurred shortly after 10am. The victims were approached by an armed gunman who robbed them of a bag containing cell phones, cash and other items before getting into a vehicle and escaping.

In the aftermath of the robbery, police mounted "an island-wide search" for the gunman, with a particular emphasis on western New Providence.

When asked about that operation yesterday, and if a similar initiative would be launched following Sunday's robbery, Supt Knowles said the initial search never ceased.

"Operations are ongoing, they have not stopped," she said. "So we still have…(officers) on the road."

Supt Knowles added there are no leads as yet regarding the robbery on June 25, and said the matter is still under investigation.

The incidents are two among a series of armed robberies that have occurred in recent months.

The weekend of July 7, there were three armed robberies in New Providence.

There were five in the previous weekend, with a sixth occurring in Eleuthera.

However, despite these numbers, Supt Knowles shied away from calling it an increase. "I cannot tell you that there is definitely (an increase), because that's something we have to run with statistics," said Supt Knowles.

"But from what I've seen, it doesn't appear that way… The numbers look a little bit low, from what I was typing in the morning."

However, she reminded the public to be cautious.

"But of course…we always ask people to be vigilant, to be aware of their surroundings, be careful of the amounts of jewellery (and) personal, important documents that they take with them."

The first robbery that occurred the weekend of July 7 occurred shortly before 10am on July 8 when a man attempted to rob a t-shirt shop on Bay and Frederick Streets of cash.

A struggle ensued between the armed man and the shop's cashier. Ultimately, nothing was taken from the business.

In both the second and third incidents, people were robbed of their cars. Shortly after 2pm on July 8, a woman was robbed of her 2006 Mercedes Benz on Podoleo Street. The vehicle was discovered with "extensive damage" a short time later on Hospital Lane.

Shortly before 1am on July 9, a man was robbed of his 2006 Honda Accord car while attempting to get into his vehicle, which was parked in the Mall at Marathon parking lot.

The previous weekend, of June 29-July1, there were six armed robberies.

The first two incidents occurred approximately an hour apart on Friday night, as the victims were pulling into their residences at Colony Village off Prince Charles Drive and Johnson Road off Eastern Road respectively. In both incidents, gunmen robbed the victims of cash.

On June 30, shortly after 3pm a woman was at a beach in Rainbow Bay, Eleuthera when she was approached by two men, one armed with a knife, who robbed her of cash before running away.

Shortly before 11pm that same day, a man was on the outside of a laundromat on Joe Farrington Road in New Providence, when he was approached by three men, one armed with a firearm, who robbed him of cell phones before escaping in his Toyota Passo.

A few minutes later, three armed men entered the office of a motel on St Alban's Drive in New Providence, held an employee up and robbed the establishment of cash before escaping.

Thieves also robbed a man selling snacks outside a laundromat on Carmichael Road shortly after 4am on July 1.

Police were told the victim was approached by two men, one armed with a firearm, who robbed him of cash, before getting into the silver coloured Passo stolen earlier and escaping.