The audacious crime, executed with chilling efficiency in a mere 149 seconds, has sparked a massive police investigation.
The robbery unfolded at the corner of Fife Street and 9th Avenue. According to a female street vendor, one of the robbers, seemingly unfazed, casually purchased chewing gum for R1 just moments before the attack.
“He bought chewing gum, but didn’t say anything to me. He kept looking all over the place then suddenly ran in the direction of the bank. When I looked to see why he was running, I saw him wrestling one of the security guards.
“Everything happened so fast. When I saw guns, I grabbed my stuff and ran in the opposite direction. In a very short space of time, the white pick-up vehicle sped away, turned left at the traffic lights, and disappeared,” she recounted, requesting anonymity.
The robbers, armed with AK-47 rifles, swiftly overpowered the Safeguard security team guarding the cash-in-transit vehicle.
Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, Bulawayo’s acting police spokesperson, detailed the attack: “Three of the Cash-in-Transit details were armed with a shotgun, which had two rounds of ammunition, a pistol (make and type unknown) with 10 rounds, and a Canik 9mm pistol with five rounds. The accused persons approached the Cash in Transit team, assaulted the details with the butt of AK-47 rifles they were carrying, and disarmed the security team.
“The suspects ordered the security team to lie down on their stomachs and warned them against raising any alarm. The security team complied, and the accused persons took away their guns. The accused persons dragged three trunks that had cash, loaded them into a getaway vehicle, and drove off at high speed. The suspects also took away the three guns which they had taken from the security team.”
The getaway vehicle, a Ford Ranger single cab, sped away along Fife Street towards 10th Avenue. In addition to the substantial cash, the robbers also made off with two pistols and a shotgun belonging to the security company. Police are deeply concerned about the potential misuse of these stolen firearms in future crimes.
A detective from the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) revealed that the number plates on the getaway vehicle, AGP2333, belonged to a Mazda Demio. He declined to identify the vehicle owner, citing the ongoing investigation.
“Stealing number plates from another car is a modus operandi used by criminals to try and throw off police investigators. The number plates captured in videos circulating online are actually for a Mazda Demio. Criminals usually target vehicles in car parks in Western areas or people that knock off from work at night and park their cars in areas such as Parirenyatwa Street, where it’s easy to steal the number plates,” the detective explained.
The scale of the heist has raised eyebrows. While Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police spokesperson, stated he needs to verify records to confirm if this is indeed the largest cash heist in the country’s history, the sheer amount stolen suggests it could be.
Police have launched a wide-ranging investigation, extending beyond Bulawayo to other towns and cities.
Commissioner Nyathi confirmed, “I can’t confirm that a team from Harare has been sent to assist with investigations, but I can say that we have widened our investigations and are no longer just looking for the suspects in Bulawayo. We are exploring all avenues where the suspects could have escaped to and are hiding.”
Extensive interviews with Ecobank staff and the Safeguard security team were conducted late into the night following the robbery.
The police have released descriptions of the suspects. Assistant Inspector Msebele stated:
“The accused persons are seven unknown male adults, six of whom were wearing balaclava masks and one was not wearing any mask. One of the accused persons is approximately 1, 65m in height, light in complexion.”
Speculation on social media regarding the suspects being shot and killed on Plumtree Road has been dismissed by police, who have confirmed that investigations are ongoing. The robbery is being compared to other significant cash heists, including the 2021 Gwebi River Bridge cash-in-transit robbery, where US$2.7 million was stolen.
In that case, a bank employee was later convicted for his role in masterminding the crime. The current investigation is focusing on all possible leads to ensure the swift apprehension of the perpetrators.
The audacious nature of this crime and the significant sum stolen have understandably caused considerable public concern and heightened security anxieties across the country.
Below is the CCTV footage of the 149-second cash heist at Ecobank Bulawayo:
