10 detained as cops probe bank heist
@kinyurumunuhe
At least 10 people were yesterday detained as police launched investigations into the dramatic theft of Sh72 million in Nairobi.
Police are investigating circumstances under which the money was stolen by three men said to have been posing as Administration Police officers escorting cash to an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Nairobi West shopping centre.
Of interest to detectives is how the three managed to be part of the crew that collected the money from security firm G4S in Industrial Area yesterday morning.
Flying Squad boss Musa Yego said part of the money was stolen as G4S employees transportedit in a van while the rest was withdrawn from an ATM outlet in Nairobi West estate.
Yego said they suspected the theft was purely an inside job.
“All indications are pointing to an inside job. No outsider could have had all the details that the suspected thieves had,” said Yego.
According to police sources, some men posing as Administration Police officers were assigned to escort the Cash-in-Transit cargo from the G4S headquarters on Witu Road and were taking it to Standard Chartered Bank ATM machine in Nairobi West.
The money was supposed to have been distributed in ATMs in neighbouring areas.
Armed with G3 rifles, the impostors who posed as the cash-in-transit escort team, together with the G4S officers, left the securicor firm premises in two cars at around 6am for Nairobi West.
But on reaching their intended destination, the Standard Chartered Nairobi West ATM, the officers turned out to be thugs and demanded part of the money from the G4S officials at gun point.
The gangsters also demanded the bank’s ATM access code, opened and withdrew more cash.
Nairobi Area Police boss Philip Ndolo said the impostors offloaded 13 bags which had Sh72 million into a waiting Toyota Noah car and sped off, leaving behind the G4S officials. The suspects did not use any force during the theft.
At the time, the six G4S employees did not attempt to fight back and handed over all their phones as demanded at gunpoint.
The impostors are said to have arrived at the G4S headquarters 30 minutes before the arrival of the genuine AP officers who had been assigned to escort the money.Police sources said some of the people detained are G4S staffers.
