News / National
Inside job suspected in Mukuru heist
1 hr ago |
91 Views
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) says preliminary investigations into Wednesday's armed robbery at a Mukuru money transfer outlet in Bulawayo suggest the daring heist may have been an inside job.
Robbers reportedly made off with more than US$70 000 and R500 000 after targeting the outlet in a carefully coordinated operation. The suspects, who remain at large, are believed to have disabled the alarm system and removed CCTV footage, significantly complicating efforts by investigators to trace them.
ZRP national spokesperson Paul Nyathi said early findings indicate the criminals had access to sensitive internal information, raising strong suspicions that someone within the sector may have assisted them.
"The Zimbabwe Republic Police is conducting investigations, particularly into the case of the disturbing armed robbery which took place yesterday in Bulawayo. It is clear that the suspects had inside information; these criminals had received information from someone possibly within the sector," Nyathi said.
"The manner in which this robbery was executed shows that they had all the inside information. They targeted an employee who has access to the safe, meaning that everything had been pre-planned."
The incident has sparked anxiety among residents who rely on the outlet for remittances and other financial services, leaving many stranded after travelling long distances to collect funds.
One resident expressed frustration after arriving to find the outlet closed following the robbery.
"This is painful because we are now stranded where we usually collect our money. I came all the way from Filabusi to collect my money, only to hear that the place is not operational because armed robbers raided it," the resident said.
Others warned that such incidents send the wrong message to young people and undermine public confidence in financial institutions.
"It is really bad what is happening in Bulawayo. It is sending the wrong message to the younger generation; that you can raid a bank and get away with it," another resident said.
A third resident said the robbery had left many in the city feeling unsafe and called on authorities to increase security.
"We are shocked and scared. It shows that we are no longer safe. The police should intensify patrols in the city and around banks so that we protect residents."
The latest robbery has revived memories of the high-profile US$4 million heist at Ecobank Zimbabwe in 2024, one of the largest bank robberies in the country's recent history.
Police say investigations are ongoing as authorities intensify efforts to track down the suspects and determine whether insiders were involved in facilitating the robbery.
Robbers reportedly made off with more than US$70 000 and R500 000 after targeting the outlet in a carefully coordinated operation. The suspects, who remain at large, are believed to have disabled the alarm system and removed CCTV footage, significantly complicating efforts by investigators to trace them.
ZRP national spokesperson Paul Nyathi said early findings indicate the criminals had access to sensitive internal information, raising strong suspicions that someone within the sector may have assisted them.
"The Zimbabwe Republic Police is conducting investigations, particularly into the case of the disturbing armed robbery which took place yesterday in Bulawayo. It is clear that the suspects had inside information; these criminals had received information from someone possibly within the sector," Nyathi said.
"The manner in which this robbery was executed shows that they had all the inside information. They targeted an employee who has access to the safe, meaning that everything had been pre-planned."
The incident has sparked anxiety among residents who rely on the outlet for remittances and other financial services, leaving many stranded after travelling long distances to collect funds.
One resident expressed frustration after arriving to find the outlet closed following the robbery.
"This is painful because we are now stranded where we usually collect our money. I came all the way from Filabusi to collect my money, only to hear that the place is not operational because armed robbers raided it," the resident said.
Others warned that such incidents send the wrong message to young people and undermine public confidence in financial institutions.
"It is really bad what is happening in Bulawayo. It is sending the wrong message to the younger generation; that you can raid a bank and get away with it," another resident said.
A third resident said the robbery had left many in the city feeling unsafe and called on authorities to increase security.
"We are shocked and scared. It shows that we are no longer safe. The police should intensify patrols in the city and around banks so that we protect residents."
The latest robbery has revived memories of the high-profile US$4 million heist at Ecobank Zimbabwe in 2024, one of the largest bank robberies in the country's recent history.
Police say investigations are ongoing as authorities intensify efforts to track down the suspects and determine whether insiders were involved in facilitating the robbery.
Source - ZBC
Join the discussion
Loading comments…
