crime reporter

Four armed robbers raided a Securico Security Services cash-in-transit vehicle and stole US$91,980 and $514,840 from a Standard Chartered Bank ATM at Newlands Mall in Harare yesterday morning .

The robbers, who were armed and traveling in an unregistered white Honda Fit vehicle, attacked security guards as they exited the bank around 11 a.m., then took two trunks containing the money and fled.

Alert police and security guards tried to chase the thieves, who managed to get away.

Police have since opened investigations into the matter and believe it could be an inside job, either by the security company or the financial institution. National police spokesman Deputy Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the robbery.

“We can confirm that an armed robbery took place today (yesterday) at Newlands Shopping Center where four armed robbers attacked a security company delivering cash to the bank and made off with two trunks containing money.

“They took away $91,980 and $514,840.”

Assistant Comm Nyathi said that when the security company employees arrived at the bank, some of them went inside and they came out a few minutes later carrying one of the safes with money, that’s when they were attacked by the thieves.

The robbers also took away the other trunk which was in the vehicle of the security company.

“We suspect the matter could be an inside job. Either the thieves could have obtained information from the employees of the security company or from the financial institution itself,” Assistant Comm Nyathi said.

Police are also investigating the circumstances in which two company employees who were driving a Honda Fit Hybrid vehicle were attacked and robbed of US$34,000 at around 8.30pm on Wednesday, still in Newlands.

Assistant Comm Nyathi said the two employees were attacked by armed robbers while delivering cash.

The thieves were using a Honda Fit vehicle.

In November last year, a Fawcett Security cash-in-transit team lost US$334,290 to ‘thieves’, who set up a fake roadblock wearing police uniforms near Connemara along the Gweru-Kwekwe highway. Police investigations later showed that the theft was organized by the security guards.

In January last year, ZB Bank lost over US$2.7 million in what was also suspected to be inside work, at the Gwebi Bridge along the Harare-Chirundu road.

Several suspects were arrested by the police and appeared in court.