Agribank armed robbers arrested 2 hours later counting loot at river

In a classic example of stupidity in crime, police have arrested one of the three armed robbers who raided Agribank at Maphisa in Kezi and got away with about $100 000 on Tuesday.

Detectives pounced on the trio at Shashane River about two kilometres from the bank, two hours after the robbery, counting the money they stole.

Police sources said the stupidity of the criminals made them look good and efficient.

"A suspect called Gift Phiri of Bulawayo was arrested but the others fled. Police found them busy trying to count the money and his two accomplices managed to get away. Imagine we had erected roadblocks on the four major roads leading out of Maphisa when the suspects were still a stone's throw from the bank," said a detective.

The trio apparently did not have a getaway car and it was not clear how they planned to flee from Maphisa.

"It is such dumb criminals that make police shine because we are now being praised for arresting one of the criminals in record time. He is helping with investigations and we are confident we will get his friends soon," said the detective.

Phiri allegedly was found with about $5 000 in assorted foreign currency and the gun that was used in the robbery while his friends are suspected to have fled with about $95 000.

The trio struck at the bank on Tuesday at 2pm and forced the manager to open a vault where they stole the money at gun point.

They left the manager, a teller and a woman who had come to conduct a transaction at the bank locked in the vault.

Officials at Agribank said they suspected someone at the institution masterminded the robbery because of its timing.

The stolen cash had arrived at the bank the previous day.

"You can tell the robbery was not planned by a proper criminal because they seem not to have thought beyond taking the cash from the bank," said an official.