In a dramatic turn of events, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has revised its account of the alleged armed robbery at a bank in Mt Darwin, announcing the recovery of the reportedly stolen US$700,000 in cash and 2.4 kilogrammes of gold. Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi has confirmed that the incident is now being treated as an “attempted robbery” rather than a successful theft.
The initial report, which detailed the brazen heist, had prompted a police manhunt and raised concerns about security in the region. However, following the recovery of the stolen items, the ZRP has altered its narrative.
“Reference is made to the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s post on its official X handle, dated 26th June 2025, regarding a reported bank robbery incident in Mt Darwin, in which US$700,000 in cash and 2.4 kilogrammes of gold were allegedly stolen,” Nyathi stated Friday evening.
“Following further investigations, the case is now being treated as an attempted robbery, as all the cash and gold have since been recovered. More details will be released in due course,” he added.
The day prior, Nyathi had assured the public of a comprehensive update regarding the robbery. He had detailed that the incident occurred around 0200 hours, stating, “Three unknown suspects, armed with pistols, pounced on the bank, attacked the security guard who was on duty at the premises and then broke into the bank, where they blasted open a safe and stole approximately US$700,000 and 2.4 kilogrammes of gold.”
The initial report had indicated that three armed suspects stormed the unnamed bank in Mt Darwin’s central business district in the early hours of Wednesday. It was reported that the suspects, armed with pistols, attacked a security guard before using explosives to blast open a safe and make off with the cash and gold.
The swift recovery of the stolen money and gold raises questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident and the motives of the individuals involved. The police have not yet released further details about the investigation, but the reclassification of the case suggests that the authorities may have a clearer understanding of what transpired.
According to reports, the incident occurred shortly before 1PM when three armed men approached a security guard while he was on patrol. The trio pointed a gun at the guard before disarming him of his firearm.
A mine worker recounted that the suspects then manhandled the guard before tying him up with tie cables and shoving him under a white Honda Fit stationed in the parking lot.
The robbers then targeted the mine’s offices. “They got into the offices through the west-facing door and went straight to an office where they found two staff members. There, they again produced guns and demanded cash,” said a witness.
The robbers are reported to have cut open the fence securing the offices using a cutter and gained entry into the yard.
One of the robbers went straight to the desk safe, taking US$20,000 and keys with a panic button. The three suspects then demanded keys to the main safe and ordered one of the two staffers to unlock it.
After opening the safe, one of the suspects is reported to have taken cash amounting to US$523,076 and loaded it into a blue sling bag. They also stole one of the staff members’ mobile phones before fleeing on foot.
The total value stolen is US$543,076, and nothing has been recovered.
Soon after their escape, the two staff members alerted other workers before a police report was made. Detectives from CID Homicide, the ZRP Canine Unit, and other police officers are reported to have attended the scene.
Police are currently investigating the incident.
This is not the first time that a Bulawayo mine has been targeted by armed robbers. In 2022, a gang comprising 13 armed robbers raided How Mine in Bulawayo and got away with US$450,000 worth of gold.
Following the How Mine robbery, police managed to track and arrest three of the suspects in Douglasdale, Bulawayo, hardly 24 hours after the heist. One of the suspects was arrested in Beitbridge while attempting to flee to South Africa.
The latest robbery at Old Nic Mine has raised concerns about the vulnerability of mining operations to armed criminals and the need for improved security measures to protect assets and personnel.
As investigations continue into both the Mt Darwin and Old Nic Mine incidents, the public awaits further details from the police regarding the circumstances surrounding these high-profile cases.
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