{"id":259974,"date":"2022-06-11T14:13:38","date_gmt":"2022-06-11T12:13:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=259974"},"modified":"2023-02-09T15:09:27","modified_gmt":"2023-02-09T14:09:27","slug":"irans-bank-e-meli-robbery-a-heist-or-a-pre-staged-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/irans-bank-e-meli-robbery-a-heist-or-a-pre-staged-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s Bank-e Meli Robbery: A Heist or a Pre-Staged Show?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-259975\" title=\"iran-bank-melli-robbery\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/iran-bank-melli-robbery.jpg\" alt=\"iran-bank-melli-robbery\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/iran-bank-melli-robbery.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/iran-bank-melli-robbery-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/iran-bank-melli-robbery-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/iran-bank-melli-robbery-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/iran-bank-melli-robbery-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, Iran\u2019s state TV reported that \u201cburglars cut through the wall of a branch of Bank Meli (Persian for National Bank) from a neighboring building in Tehran.\u201d As a result, hundreds of Iranians lost their life savings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These burglars entered the bank, had 14 hours to easily dismantle CCTVs and take their memory cards, and made a lot of noise using hand milling machines to cut the safe boxes and steal people\u2019s belongings. Bank alarms sounded, numerous calls were made to the regime\u2019s \u201csecurity\u201d apparatus, and not even one police officer showed up at the scene.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe branch did not have a security guard, and the bank found out about the theft after four days. It took about 14 hours for the thieves to take away the money,\u201d Hassan Mounesan, Member of the Board of Directors of Bank Meli, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asriran.com\/fa\/news\/843857\/%D8%B9%D8%B6%D9%88-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%A6%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%A9-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%A9-%DB%B4-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D8%AF\">said on June 10.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-259976 size-medium\" title=\"bank-meli-robbery-iran\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bank-meli-robbery-iran-300x191.jpg\" alt=\"bank-meli-robbery-iran\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bank-meli-robbery-iran-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bank-meli-robbery-iran-150x95.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bank-meli-robbery-iran-696x442.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/bank-meli-robbery-iran.jpg 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Mounesan acknowledged that this branch has \u201cSeven layers of security and an automated alarm system.\u201d Yet he dodged the question of why burglars easily entered the bank?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For long, Iran\u2019s ruling theocracy justified its cruelty by bragging about \u201cbringing security to the country.\u201d Killing innocent protesters on the streets, arresting those who chant against regime officials, and organized attacks against women are all considered \u201csecurity measures\u201d by the regime.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While it takes several minutes for state security forces to arrive at the scene of a protest and open fire on unarmed civilians, how did they fail to catch a gang of bandits after 14 hours? There are many speculations about the complicity of the regime officials in this larceny, and given the regime\u2019s institutionalized corruption and history of plundering people\u2019s wealth, the latter is highly probable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2018, thousands of Iranians lost the savings they had entrusted to government-backed credit institutions such as Caspian and Thamen-Ol-Ameh. These institutions claimed they return people\u2019s money at 25% interest, deceiving people to trust them. These institutions gradually stopped allowing withdrawals, then stopped paying interest, and finally shut their doors for good, ruining the lives of thousands of people across the country. These institutions were linked to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">People held weeklong protests demanding their rights. The demonstrations and the slogans of those who fell victim to this systemic scam were later attributed to Iran\u2019s first major uprising in 2018, which rattled the regime\u2019s foundations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the Monday heist, defrauded people gathered at Bank-e Meli\u2019s main branch, demanding their rights. At first, regime officials tried to dismiss the crowd, saying since the safe boxes were not insured, they were not responsible for retributing people\u2019s losses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These responses allowed people to express their hatred toward Iran\u2019s Thievocracy. Fearing people\u2019s backlash and another series of protests in Iran\u2019s current volatile society, the regime said it would prosecute the thieves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And finally, on June 9, the state police announced it had captured all robbers and confiscated the fortunes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran\u2019s state media and the Police made a great deal of fanfare about arresting the thieves, bragging about a joint operation with Interpol to arrest several thieves who managed to escape Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">People reacted to this circus on social media, mocking that if the regime\u2019s General Command of the Law Enforcement (FRAJA) is so powerful, why did it fail to catch the robbers in the act? This forced Hossain Ashtari, Tehran\u2019s Police Chief, to ridiculously claim they had already arrested the thieves a couple of days before making it public.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ashtari\u2019s remarks about recovering people\u2019s belongings hinted at the regime\u2019s role in Monday\u2019s burglary. \u201cWe have recovered the majority of people\u2019s wealth. Now it is up to them to determine how much they had lost and tell us,\u201d he said on June 9 in an interview with state TV.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yjc.news\/fa\/news\/8122830\/%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%DB%B1%DB%B0-%D9%87%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%82%D8%A7%DA%86%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA\">According to the regime\u2019s criminal code<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yjc.news\/fa\/news\/8122830\/%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%DB%B1%DB%B0-%D9%87%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%82%D8%A7%DA%86%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-259977 size-medium\" title=\"assets-bank-meli-iran\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/assets-bank-meli-iran-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"assets-bank-meli-iran\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/assets-bank-meli-iran-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/assets-bank-meli-iran-150x75.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/assets-bank-meli-iran.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>, holding more than 10,000 euros worth of securities equals currency smuggling, thus punishable under the regime\u2019s laws. In other words, people who had their life savings in the bank can now only get back 10,000 euros of their belongings, and the regime pockets the rest. Besides, the regime claimed it had arrested all criminals. So why have they restored only 90% of people\u2019s belongings? What happens to the rest?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hoping the regime\u2019s FRAJA would restore people\u2019s funds is like expecting an arsonist to put out the arson! FRAJA, formerly known as NAJA, is a corrupted institution.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2015, amid the regime\u2019s infightings<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peykeiran.com\/Content.aspx?ID=90870\" rel=\"noopener\"> it was revealed<\/a> that NAJA and its then-commander Ahmadi-Moghaddam, have embezzled billions of dollars. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/inside-irans-army-of-terror-and-oppression-revolutionary-guards-irgc-part-2\/\">Iranian Resistance\u2019s exclusive report in 2020<\/a>,\u00a0 The Cooperative Foundation of the State Security Forces (NAJA) \u201ctoday is one of the largest holding companies in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to this report, \u201cIn 2014, state-run media estimated the assets of this foundation to be over $3.2B. The enterprises of this foundation include Qavamin Bank, Mehregan Investments, NAJA Hope Insurance Fund, NAJA Science, Education, and Recreation Institute,\u201d among other holdings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tehran\u2019s crisis-riddled regime needs more money to fund its terrorism and warmongering policies. So covertly or overtly, it plunders people\u2019s wealth. From devouring oil rigs, monopolizing entire industries, selling soil and trees, or the latest bank robbery that raises so many red flags are all part of the regime\u2019s plan to use every penny it finds to prolong its life. But despite all the wealth the mullahs have looted and plundered from the Iranian people, can they afford to buy more time?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Monday, Iran&rsquo;s state TV reported that &ldquo;burglars cut through the wall of a branch of Bank Meli (Persian for National Bank) from a neighboring building in Tehran.&rdquo; As a [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":259975,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,10],"tags":[129,130,229],"class_list":{"0":"post-259974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-economy","9":"tag-iran","10":"tag-iran-protests","11":"tag-irans-economy"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Iran\u2019s Bank-e Meli Robbery: A Heist or a Pre-Staged Show? 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