Two masked men armed with a gun and knife threatened bank tellers at the Westpac Bank of Tonga branch at the Fakafanua Center, Ma'ufanga this morning, September 5.

An eyewitness at the bank said that the men threatened the tellers, before they took off.

The police have not commented on the armed hold-up, which is under investigation and have not confirmed whether or not any cash was stolen. But it is understood that no one was injured and that the robbers fled the scene.

This morning's incident was the third armed hold-up in Nuku'alofa in the last three weeks.

On August 16 a masked offender robbed the Phoenix Supermarket on Fatafehi Road in Nuku'alofa and fled with over $300 cash.

A second attempted armed robbery took place on August 27 when two masked persons in a white vehicle intercepted a Western Union van carrying cash at Paloni Road in Nuku'alofa. One masked person armed with a pistol got out and fired at the vehicle after demanding money. But the Western Union driver drove the van to the Central Police station without handing over any money.

The armed offenders are still at large in Tongatapu.