News / National
Three held for $125 000 cash in transit heist
05 Dec 2013 at 07:39hrs | Views
Two guns used in the $125 000 heist of a Fawcett Cash-In-Transit vehicle have been recovered near the crime scene, with three security guards still held by police.
Police say the three are still in custody assisting with investigations.
Andy Laind, Fawcett managing director, shot down suggestions that his security was compromised.
"It doesn't mean that at all but that on-going we have to review our security, which we do every time," he said.
"We have hundreds of Cash-In-Transit vehicles on the road everywhere all day and the incident we have faced is very light in light of the current crime environment in the region."
The security chief said rising cases of armed robberies were "a new development in Zimbabwe which the public need to recognise and take extra precautions against."
The $125 000 robbery was pulled-off Hollywood style just off a sharp curve 6km off Mutare-Nyanga road towards Honde Valley, as the truck exited Selbourne.
Patched strategically inside a bend where they could monitor oncoming traffic, one of the robbers waylaid the Fawcett Cash-In-Transit vehicle from a stolen lorry which appeared to have broken down, complete with red triangles.
As the Fawcett vehicle approached from a dangerously narrow bridge, the vehicle sped from its stationery position across its lane ramming into the right fender of the guards' security van and pinning it into the road's embankment.
In the confusion that ensued, three bogus policemen arrived feigning concern and inquiring what had happened.
"Our crew believing them to have been policemen, tried to explain and that's when they were disarmed and forced to open the safety procedures on the vehicle," Laind explained.
They then loaded the box of money into a VW vehicle which sped off with the four robbers. The guns were thrown out as they drove away.
Eastern Highlands plantation workers have allegedly gone for months without salaries, sources told the Daily News.
Officer Commanding Manicaland Police (Operations) Assistant Commissioner David Mahoya has confirmed that the cash lost was in fact $125 000 and not $400 000 earlier reported.
Police sources say the security guards in police custody were being treated as the main suspects as police are currently going through their phone records "Definitely they are assisting police with investigations," Mahoya said.
"For us to manage the situation, we need their assistance because they are the ones with the story."
Police say the three are still in custody assisting with investigations.
Andy Laind, Fawcett managing director, shot down suggestions that his security was compromised.
"It doesn't mean that at all but that on-going we have to review our security, which we do every time," he said.
"We have hundreds of Cash-In-Transit vehicles on the road everywhere all day and the incident we have faced is very light in light of the current crime environment in the region."
The security chief said rising cases of armed robberies were "a new development in Zimbabwe which the public need to recognise and take extra precautions against."
The $125 000 robbery was pulled-off Hollywood style just off a sharp curve 6km off Mutare-Nyanga road towards Honde Valley, as the truck exited Selbourne.
Patched strategically inside a bend where they could monitor oncoming traffic, one of the robbers waylaid the Fawcett Cash-In-Transit vehicle from a stolen lorry which appeared to have broken down, complete with red triangles.
As the Fawcett vehicle approached from a dangerously narrow bridge, the vehicle sped from its stationery position across its lane ramming into the right fender of the guards' security van and pinning it into the road's embankment.
In the confusion that ensued, three bogus policemen arrived feigning concern and inquiring what had happened.
"Our crew believing them to have been policemen, tried to explain and that's when they were disarmed and forced to open the safety procedures on the vehicle," Laind explained.
They then loaded the box of money into a VW vehicle which sped off with the four robbers. The guns were thrown out as they drove away.
Eastern Highlands plantation workers have allegedly gone for months without salaries, sources told the Daily News.
Officer Commanding Manicaland Police (Operations) Assistant Commissioner David Mahoya has confirmed that the cash lost was in fact $125 000 and not $400 000 earlier reported.
Police sources say the security guards in police custody were being treated as the main suspects as police are currently going through their phone records "Definitely they are assisting police with investigations," Mahoya said.
"For us to manage the situation, we need their assistance because they are the ones with the story."
Source - dailynews
