NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 1 – It is probably one of the most daring attempted bank heists in recent years, in a series of robberies that has left the country’s banking sector scrambling to enhance their security.
On Monday evening, yet another heist appeared imminent with a group of five suspected robbers laying siege at a lodging complex in Nairobi’s Central business District (CBD).
The gang had apparently canvassed the area for days and settled on committing their heist at one of Prime Bank’s branch in Kamukunji division.
According to Nairobi Central Sub-County Police Commander John Nyamu, the five suspects had checked-in one of the lodgings in the area where they would allegedly commit the crime.
“The five had checked into four rooms. This we believe was part of their plans to rob the prime bank which is next to the lodging,” said Nyamu, during an interview with Shahidi News.
Preliminary reports however indicate that the gang might have also been eyeing two other nearby facilities, in an attempt to confuse investigators as to what was their real target.
By checking into four separate rooms, detectives believe this might have been part of the plan to dissuade other guests in the lodging from raising a noise complaint and possibly contacting police.
In one of the rooms, detectives have also established that they could have easily broken into the banking hall by drilling their way right at the comfort of their rooms.
“We received a tip-off and arrived at the scene at around 11pm when we managed to arrest the five and recovered three hacksaws, a metal hand-held drill, metal bars and special scissors used to cut metal. We also recovered a suitcase that was to be allegedly used to carry the stolen cash,” he said.
The five suspects have since been processed by police and are being detained at the Kamukunji police station ahead of being arraigned on Monday. Investigations are ongoing.
In yet another incident targeting Prime bank, on January 19, 2021, six suspects were arrested after they stole Sh3.5 million from the bank’s Mombasa road branch.
Two police officers attached at the bank alongside a bank teller were arrested and subsequently arraigned in court in connection with aiding the robbery.
Still on January 19, 2021, four suspected robbers narrowly escaped death following a botched bank heist at Cooperative bank, University Way branch in Nairobi.
Police from the Central police station were quickly called into action as angry citizens stopped the vehicle they attempted to flee in.
In July 2020, five suspects were arrested in yet another botched bank heist targeting a KCB branch in Busia town. The suspects allegedly attempted to withdrawn close to Sh 28.5 million from an unknown person’s bank account.
Infamously in 2017, four suspects were arrested after they stole Sh52 million from KCB Thika branch.
The four dug a 35 meter underground tunnel to the bank between November 18, and 20 back in 2017.
The robbers had made away with Sh52.6 million in form of, 95 Australian dollars, 185 euros, 1,630 sterling pounds, 271,000 Tanzania shillings, 947,000 Uganda shillings, US$5,781, 40 South African rand and 5 Canadian dollars.
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