Chipinge – A daring and well-coordinated armed robbery has left Fawcett Security counting the cost after a gang of at least five men made off with US$111,000 and R1.28 million early Wednesday morning.
The audacious raid, which took place just before 3am, saw the robbers target Fawcett Security guards, taking control of their vehicle and using it to gain access to the company’s depot.
Police believe the robbers first targeted two Fawcett Security guards who were on rapid response duties and had parked their branded Isuzu KB250 in the town centre.
Two armed robbers, wearing balaclavas, approached the guards and pointed their pistols at them, ordering them to open the doors. The guards were then forced to the back of the van, pushed into the cash compartment, and their hands tied behind their backs with cable ties.
The robbers drove the van to an unknown location where they were joined by at least three more men, armed with an assortment of tools including grinders, hammers, torches, and iron bars.
The robbers forced the Fawcett guards to hand over their jackets and caps, and two of them dressed themselves as Fawcett guards.
The gang then drove to the Fawcett depot at 1530 Gaza O Light Industry, where some local businesses keep their money overnight before banking.
“Upon arrival at the office main gate, the accused persons managed to deceive a guard who was manning the entrance to open for them. The accused persons entered the yard and when the guard was closing the gate, two of the robbers jumped from the motor vehicle and manhandled him and force marched him towards the offices with both of his hands tied with cable ties from the back,” an internal police memo of the incident reads, according to ZimLive.
The Fawcett guard was disarmed of his Rossi Revolver. A second guard who was doing perimeter checks was also disarmed of his short gun.
The robbers then damaged all exterior security lights, broke the manager’s office window, and disconnected the power supply to the alarm system. The output cable to the siren was also cut off.
In the control room, the robbers quickly overpowered another guard who was monitoring the CCTV and disarmed him of his revolver.
The robbers took turns to break the padlock keys of the six different metal cash boxes and took all the cash, loading it into the Fawcett vehicle.
“The robbers then bundled all the Fawcett guards into the cash compartment of the van and drove off to a bushy area at Mooilsplas Farm, 6km north of Chipinge, where they dumped the guards and the motor vehicle,” police said.
One of the guards later managed to untie himself and called for help.
Police recovered the Isuzu’s keys dumped with the Fawcett uniforms 54km from Chipinge on the road to Birchenough. The three guns seized from the guards were found dumped inside the yard of the Fawcett establishment.
The total cash stolen was US$111,411 and R1,281,320.
Police are investigating the incident and are appealing for any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.
This is not the first time Fawcett Security has been targeted by armed robbers. In 2023, a gang of armed robbers raided a Fawcett Security depot in Harare, making off with millions of dollars.
The latest incident has raised concerns about the security of cash in transit in Zimbabwe.
The incident has also highlighted the need for security companies to review their security measures and to invest in more sophisticated security systems.
