Alarm over rising movie-style heists

• Police plead with public for assistance
• Cash-in-transit vehicles targeted
• Millions of United States dollars vanish
• Businesses urged to insure

By Daniel Kachere

While law enforcement agents are seized with the mammoth task of enforcing national Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, amid a dangerous surge in infections and deaths, a new breed of criminal is growing bolder by the day.
As most Zimbabweans work flat out to put food on the table under the country’s suffocating economy, the daring ones, through violent crime, are changing the rules.
Over the past five months Zimbabwe has experienced a wave of movie-style heists, which in days gone by were only heard of from far afield, in places like Johannesburg, South Africa.
These gangs of armed robbers have struck fear into the hearts of the general transacting public and business operators that handle cash – unleashing a wave of raids, some of which appear to be inside jobs due to their “impeccable timing” and execution.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police announced Thursday that it was seeking assistance with information that might lead to the arrest of a gang that robbed a cash-in-transit vehicle of over US$2.5 million in cash.
“The ZRP is investigating circumstances which led to a cash-in-transit motor vehicle robbery of US$2.5 million and Z$40 000 at Gwebi Bridge lay-bye on 6 January 2021 at 1400hrs. Anyone with information on the four suspects to contact any nearest police station,” they said in a statement.
Police said three complainants were travelling to Chinhoyi in a Toyota Hilux single cab with seven cash boxes loaded with money.
While on the way they picked up six men between Westgate and Inkomo turn-off but as they approached Gwebi bridge lay-bye, the driver stopped as some passengers sought to relieve themselves.
During that time, one of the passengers produced an unknown pistol and fired a single shot into the air whilst his accomplices disarmed the complainants of a 303 rifle they had.
“The suspects then tied the three complainants and drove into the bush where they loaded the cash boxes into a red Toyota vehicle (make and registration numbers unknown) and drove off.”
Cases of this nature have become prevalent.
On 31 November last year, both the public and business community at Chivi Growth point were left in shock after witnessing a gang of five unidentified armed men seized a Safeguard cash-in-transit vehicle at Chivi Growth Point and stole $US35 000, 350 000 rand and Z$2000 cash.
The money was about to be delivered at a Mukuru Send Money shop. After the heist, the five fled from the scene in an unmarked sky blue Toyota GD6.
On 2nd of the same month, armed robbers intercepted and outnumbered Fawcett Security guards along a sanitary lane while they were delivering cash at a CBZ Bank branch located at corner Jason Moyo and 8th Avenue in Bulawayo.
They hijacked their cash-in-transit delivery van and managed to secure Z$2,1 million, US$3,362 and R7,390 cash before driving away and later dumping the vehicle in Ilanda suburb.
In August this year, a driver and an armed guard took US$306 000 in cash which they were delivering cash Mukuru Money Transfer agency in Gokwe.
Desbro Kadzurunga (23) and Leon Kahoka (35), both from Gokwe (Safeguard Security) dumped the special van, their uniforms and a firearm near Gokwe Hotel before vanishing with the cash.
Two weeks ago police in Harare also raised alarm after there were reports that six unidentified men stormed premises of a security services company and disarmed security guards on duty before stealing cash, cell phones and a television set.
In the process they also blindfolded and raped the female guard who was part of the security team before fleeing.

Insure assets
The Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) Marketing and Public Relations manager Ringisai Batiya said companies that transport huge sums of money are supposed to have cash-in-transit insurance cover and without that, all will be doomed.

“Companies that transport cash should have Cash In Transit insurance which is designed to protect them from the loss of money arising from any cause stated in their policies. If there is a valid cash in transit cover, the affected company will be compensated on submission of a legitimate claim.”

“Considering the high value of the cash lost in the Gwebi heist, several insurers and reinsurers could be affected by the claim, should one be submitted. An insurer will take up risk up to its maximum capacity and cede or reinsure the excess risk to other insurers or reinsurers.”

Companies are encouraged to insure their business activities and property. Adequate insurance cover will ensure restoration and business continuity in the event that the risk insured against occurs,” said Batiya.

She also warned people who pay no regard to insuring their properties and possessions.

Most small-scale miners do not have adequate insurance policies against property and due to the current lockdown that has left many cashless, they are potential targets of armed robbers.

In October last year, police announced that they were hunting for four armed robbers who raided a mine in Shurugwi and got away with US$6 000 cash as well as a safe, which was used to store gold.
According to police sources who spoke to the media, they appeared to have inside information because they knew the weight of the gold which had been processed at the mine on the day.

Security companies wary
Securico founder and managing director Dr Divine Ndhlukula said as part of the security company sector, they were worried by the current trend where security companies are being targeted while delivering clients’ money.
She attributed the surge in these cases to returnees from countries such as South Africa who would have been probably released from prison and deported back to the country.
“You find that a lot of people are coming in from South Africa and most of them are Zimbabweans who were actually imprisoned there, essentially for robberies and have since been released,” said Dr Ndhlukula.
“Most probably that has caused this worrisome trend of robberies as they were used to that life in South Africa and they are here now, they will strike wherever there is an opportunity.”

She further added that bad apples that would have worked in security service companies and lost their jobs approach insiders such as those who would have retired from the security forces and deceive them.
“An insider invariably gets support from an outsider. Some of the inside jobs are facilitated by people who have been working in those targeted organisations who know every process in the organisations.

“They then approach those who would have retired from our security organisations enticing them that they can easily get away with the offences once they complete the operations. Due to that attraction to huge sums of money, the unprincipled ones would co-operate,” Dr Ndhlukula said. Nhau/Indaba