Zimbabwe police overrated?

In what is being called the largest cash heist in Zimbabwe's history, seven armed robbers executed a lightning-fast robbery at Ecobank, located at the corner of Fife Street and 9th Avenue in Bulawayo. The audacious robbery, which lasted just 149 seconds, saw the criminals make off with a staggering US$4.4 million in broad daylight.

One of the suspects was spotted coolly surveying the crime scene from a nearby street corner before he casually bought chewing gum from a vendor. Moments later, he sprinted toward the bank, where he joined an accomplice to disarm and subdue a security guard, setting the stage for the daring robbery.

The robbery occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, with witnesses and bank employees left in shock. A vendor who sold chewing gum to one of the robbers described the chilling moment when the suspect suddenly darted toward the bank.

"He bought chewing gum and didn't say much. He was scanning the area, and before I knew it, he ran toward the bank. I watched as he started wrestling with a security guard. Everything happened so fast, and when I saw the guns, I grabbed my things and ran in the opposite direction," said the vendor, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The robbers, armed with AK-47 rifles, ambushed the security personnel guarding a Safeguard cash-in-transit vehicle. Three of the security team were armed with a shotgun, two pistols, and ammunition, which the robbers quickly confiscated after assaulting them.

The robbers ordered the security team to lie on their stomachs while they loaded three trunks filled with cash into a getaway vehicle, a white Ford Ranger single cab. The robbers sped off along Fife Street toward 10th Avenue, also taking with them three firearms – a shotgun and two pistols – increasing police concerns that these weapons could be used in future crimes.

Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, acting police spokesperson in Bulawayo, confirmed that the robbers disarmed the security guards and stole the cash before fleeing at high speed. The police are working to recover the stolen firearms and cash.

A detective with the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) revealed that the number plates on the getaway vehicle, AGP2333, belonged to a Mazda Demio, a common tactic used by criminals to mislead investigators. The police are now investigating whether the robbers had stolen the plates beforehand.

Police believe the heist may have involved an inside job due to the precision and timing of the robbery. National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi suggested there could have been a leak of information that facilitated the robbery.

"Initial indications show an element of an inside job or information leak. We are conducting thorough investigations, and the public can be assured that we will hold those responsible to account," said Comm Nyathi.

The Ecobank heist has shaken the country, surpassing previous major cash-in-transit robberies, including the 2021 Gwebi River Bridge heist where US$2.7 million was stolen.

As investigations widen, police have expanded their search for the suspects beyond Bulawayo to other cities and towns. Despite rumors circulating on social media that the robbers were killed along Plumtree Road shortly after the heist, police have denied these claims, confirming that the hunt for the suspects is ongoing.