The daring heist of millions of cash comprising of US$114,411 and over 1.2 million Rands from Fawcett Security Company premises in Chipinge, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, has left authorities scrambling for answers and they believe they will find answers very, very soon.
This is because preliminary investigations have revealed a shocking truth: the five armed robbers were acting on information supplied by a mole within the company itself. So, the Serious Fraud Sqaud detectives already have a starting point. They are now tasked with doing what they know best – to “extract” the information from those who are hiding it, by whatever “means” possible.
As they were parked near the Farm and City shop in Chipinge town, two masked individuals, armed with pistols, emerged from behind the van and ordered the officers to disembark.
The suspects, displaying chilling familiarity with the company’s security protocols, removed the officers’ jackets and hats, forcing the driver to surrender the car keys. The guards were then bound with their own shoelaces and shoved into the vehicle’s cash compartment.
Three more accomplices then joined their colleagues, and the group drove towards Fawcett Security Company premises in Gaza Township. Along the way, they stopped to load unknown items into the vehicle, before arriving at the main gate of the security company.
At the gate, they confronted the security officer on duty, Mauka Chigonese (49), demanding he unlock the gate. Chigonese was manhandled and his hands were tied with electric cables. The robbers then disarmed another security guard, Taurai Tarangwa (48), using his shoelaces to bind his hands. They forced him to summon Gordon Gurudza (49), who was monitoring the alarm system, and ordered him to open the office door. Gurudza was then forced to lie face down, his hands bound with an electric cable.
The robbers, clearly well-versed in the company’s security systems, proceeded to disable the alarm control board, exterior lights, and surveillance cameras, ensuring they left no trace of their presence. They then used a grinder to vandalise the vault, stealing the cash stashed in six cash boxes. The stolen money was loaded into a sack previously used for cow feed.
After the heist, the robbers drove to Moiplass Estate with the security guards still bound in the back of the vehicle. They abandoned the truck, leaning it against a tree trunk to prevent the guards from escaping.
One of the guards, Sithole, managed to inform the Fawcett brand manager, Mr Peter Kabaira, about the incident. Kabaira immediately filed a police report at ZRP Chipinge Urban.
Police arrived at the scene and recovered several items, including a revolver, a short gun revolver, grinding discs, and a bulletproof jacket. However, no arrests have been made, and the stolen money remains unrecovered.
National police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed the heist and the involvement of an inside source.
“Yes, the incident happened in Chipinge at around 3am on Wednesday, and so far what we have noted, from how the robbery was executed, is that the perpetrators had inside information on the operations of the security company,” he said.
The police boss assured the nation that police are doing what they know best to get every culprit brought to book for taking part in this crime.
“I can assure you that the police will be out in full force to ensure that this case is thoroughly investigated, and everyone who was involved is brought to book, and account for their transgressions.”
The police investigation is now focused on identifying the mole(s) within Fawcett Security Company. The CID serious fraud squad, known for their relentless pursuit of justice, are likely to use all available tactics at their disposal, most likely including some “little force”, to get the truth out of the staffers.
