Official: Security foils robbery at Bahamas resort

Resort security personnel on Sunday foiled an attempted robbery inside the casino of one of the Caribbean's largest and best-known destinations.

Three bandits tried to rob a cashier's cage in the casino of the Atlantis mega-resort in the Bahamas after inundating it with pepper spray, according to a statement from Kerzner International Bahamas, which manages the resort.

Resort officials said the robbery attempt was not visible to casino patrons. It occurred in an employee-only area behind the kiosks where people collect winnings.

The three Bahamian suspects were quickly caught by resort security and taken into custody by the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Their identities were not immediately disclosed.

As a precaution, 16 resort employees were taken to a local hospital after breathing in pepper spray. They were all expected to be treated and released.

Kerzner executive George Markantonis said "security teams did an outstanding job in apprehending the perpetrators." Earlier in the day, Markantonis had said the robbery did not involve the casino.

With roughly 4,000 rooms, Atlantis is among the largest Caribbean resorts. It is known for its water slides and fantastical pink towers and covers about three-quarters of Paradise Island, just off the capital of Nassau. It's the largest employer in the Bahamas, with more than 7,000 workers.

It is owned by Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management and managed by Kerzner.

Bridge access to Paradise Island was reportedly restricted following the botched heist.