Four armed robbers raided a Securico Security Services cash-in-transit vehicle and stole US$91 980 and $514 840 at a Standard Chartered Bank automated teller machine (ATM) at Newlands Shopping Centre in Harare yesterday morning.
The robbers who were armed and travelling in an unregistered
white Honda Fit vehicle, attacked the security guards as they were coming out
of the bank at around 11am, and then took two trunks carrying the cash and sped
off.
Alert police officers and the security guards tried to
pursue the robbers, who made good their escape.
Police have since launched investigations into the case and
believe that it could have been an inside job, either from the security company
side or the financial institution. National police spokesperson Assistant
Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the heist.
“We can confirm that an armed robbery occurred today
(yesterday) at Newlands Shopping Centre where four armed robbers attacked a
security company that was delivering cash to the bank and got away with two
trunks containing cash.
“They took away US$91 980 and $514 840.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said when the security company employees
arrived at the bank, some of them went inside and as they were coming out a few
minutes later while carrying one of the trunks with cash, that is when they
were attacked by the robbers.
The robbers also took away the other trunk that was in the
security company’s vehicle.
“We suspect that the case could be an inside job. Either
the robbers could have obtained information from the security company employees
or the financial institution itself,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
Police are also investigating circumstances in which two
company employees who were driving a Honda Fit Hybrid vehicle were attacked and
robbed of US$34 000 around 8.30pm on Wednesday, again in Newlands.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the two employees were attacked by
armed robbers, while delivering cash.
The robbers were using a Honda Fit vehicle.
In November last year, a Fawcett Security cash-in-transit
team lost US$334 290 to “robbers”, who mounted a fake roadblock donning police
uniforms near Connemara along the Gweru-Kwekwe highway. Police investigations
later showed that robbery was stage managed by the security guards.
In January last year, ZB Bank lost over US$2,7 million in
what was also suspected to be an inside job, at Gwebi Bridge along the
Harare-Chirundu Road.
Several suspects were rounded up by police and have
appeared in court. Herald
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