MORE than US$100 000 was lost, in about eight hours, to daring armed robbers, who struck twice, in the Newlands area of Harare.
Standard Chartered Bank was reported to have lost, at least, US$80 000, in a daring mid-morning strike by a group of armed robbers.
An unidentified company had lost US$34 000, to armed robbers, at the same shopping complex, about eight hours earlier.
In a statement, Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said investigations have since begun.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is 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 2030 hours on Wednesday in Harare,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.
“In another armed robbery, a security company was robbed of a yet to be known amount while the guards were about to deliver the cash at Newlands Shopping Centre at around 1000hrs.
“Police continue to urge employers not to disclose to everyone their banking routines.
“It is worrying to note that the two robberies happened in Newlands, and within a short space of time, and during cash-in-transit.
“We also continue to urge people not to keep large sums of money,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.
One of the eye witnesses at Newlands Shopping Centre told H-Metro that a Honda Fit was parked by armed robbers, close to a Securico vehicle, which was about to deliver cash to an Automated Teller Machine belonging to Standard Chartered Bank.
“It was like a movie when I saw a Honda Fit being parked close to a Securico vehicle,” said the eyewitness.
“One of the robbers pointed a gun at a female employee of the bank, who was to receive the cash, and ordered her to lie down.
“The other robber also pointed a gun at the other guards and they snatched the money trunk and sped off, leaving the female employee crying.”
The female employee was still in shock at the time H-Metro arrived at the scene.
People around the place were quick to suspect that the robbery could have been an inside job.
“The timing of the armed robbery, on delivery of cash-in-transit, leaves many questions,” said one of the onlookers at the scene.
“It must be an inside job considering how it happened.”
— HMetro
