POLICE have linked the five prisoners who escaped from the Naboro medium facility on Monday night to the daring daylight robbery at the Bank South Pacific's Samabula branch in Suva yesterday.
Fiji Police Force acting chief of operations SSP Rusiate Tudravu said their investigations revealed that some of the escapees were sighted in the vehicle before the 1.45pm robbery.
However, he said the fingerprints would confirm the link once forensic officers completed their work.
The gang smashed their way into the walls of the bank at the corner of Ratu Mara Rd and Rewa St in a stolen vehicle owned by Narsey's Plastic which was reported stolen on Tuesday. The vehicle was found abandoned at Brewster St in Toorak minutes later.
Three vendors from Draubuta in Tailevu - Titilia Wati, Adi Yaga and Anaseini Bakeinai - who were sitting outside the bank said they were shaken by what they saw.
"Keitou kidacalataka baleta ni keitou sega ni kila na ka e sa yaco tiko me yacova sara ga ni keitou sa raici iratou e lewe lima sa sobu mai. Eratou vakamatavulo. E rua vei iratou e rau taura tu nai sele kava". (We were shocked when we saw what was going on. At first, we didn't know what was happening until the five men jumped out of the vehicle and two were armed with cane knives)," Ms Wati said.