A 45-year-old woman from Penal was robbed of $36,000 in cash after a thief snatched her handbag from her parked car outside a La Romain supermarket on Monday afternoon.

Police said the woman parked in the car park of Southern Food Basket, Gulf View Link Road, around 1p.m. She reportedly left her handbag, which contained the money she had just withdrawn from First Citizens Bank, Gulf View Branch, on the front passenger seat and went into the supermarket.

When she returned about five minutes later, she was unlocking the vehicle when a man, about 5 feet 2 inches tall, slim built, dark brown complexion, with plaited hair and an unkempt afro, approached the car.