Armed robber threatened casino workers with knife during raid

An armed robber threatened casino staff with a knife as he raided the building for cash.

The thief stole a five-figure sum in money and casino chips from the Genting Casino in Edinburgh at around 1am on Monday.

The hooded man was spotted loitering in an underground car park near the building on Dundee Street before he approached a member of staff who was taking a break from their shift.

He held a knife to the worker before taking their phone and ordering them to take him inside the casino.

Once indoors the robber proceeded to threaten two further staff members at the cash desk and took a five figure sum in cash and chips which are stamped with “Fountainpark”.

He left on foot through an emergency exit back into the underground car park.

The man is described as being of Middle Eastern ethnicity, aged in his mid-to-late 20s, of a thin build and spoke with a mixed Scottish and Asian accent.

He was wearing a hooded black down jacket, a black face mask covering the lower half of his face, black trousers, black gloves and black Nike trainers with a white motif.

Detective inspector Kevin Tait, of Corstorphine CID, said: “Nobody was injured in this incident but it was a frightening experience for the staff members involved.

“Extensive enquires are ongoing to identify the man responsible, including reviewing CCTV from the area.

“I would urge anyone with information which could help to identify the man, or anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything to contact police as soon as possible.

“Similarly, I would ask anyone who becomes aware of a large quantity of casino chips stamped with ‘Fountainpark’ in the city to report this to police immediately.”

Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 0176 of August 9, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.