By Cyrus Ombati
Unknown number of thugs broke into the Chase Bank headquarters’ strong room and escaped with about Sh30 million.
The gang used a gas cylinder and welding machine to break through doors to the strong room where the cash in local and foreign currencies was stored.
Police said the cash stolen was “about Sh25 million” but insiders said it was more than that.
Three guards who were on duty on Sunday night when the incident happened are missing. Police said the guards belong to two security companies and their uniforms were found abandoned outside the bank offices along Riverside Drive.
Despite the strong room fitted with a smoke machine and detector and other security measures, no alarm was raised when the incident happened.
Managers there said they detected the theft Monday morning when they were opening for the day’s business.
Nairobi Area police boss Anthony Kibuchi and head of CID Nicholas Kamwende, Kilimani OCPD Bernard Muli and his CID counterpart Harison Meme visited the institution on Monday and confirmed the theft.
“There is about Sh25 million missing from the strong room and our officers will try to establish how that happened inspite of the gadgets installed there,” said Kibuchi.
Business at the bank was temporarily affected as police and officials from the security companies flocked there to investigate the incident.
Another senior officer said the theft was an inside job saying outsiders could not have known the details of the room where the cash was stolen.
This is the latest incident to happen involving security guards and banks. In June this year two gangsters posing as security guards stole Sh5 million from a bank in Nairobi.
