Police probe robbery in Nairobi forex bureau, Sh 2 million lost

NAIROBI, KENYA: Police are looking for a gang, disguised as nuns that allegedly drugged a foreign exchange bureau attendant and robbed him of Sh2    million in an incident in Karen, Nairobi

The gang of two had walked to the bureau on Sunday afternoon saying they wanted to exchange thousands of US dollars to Kenyan shillings.

According to police and witnesses, the suspects wore nuns’ clothes when they walked into the cubicle of the bureau.

They then demanded to exchange the money they had. It was then that police suspect the two used a poisonous gas to turn the attendant drowsy and confused.

According to an examination of a footage captured at the bureau, the thugs are seen talking to the attendant briefly before he is seen pressing a button.

He then opened a door to the strong room before the suspects followed in and loaded the money into bags. They walked out of the premise in less than a minute.

The guards who were outside did not know what had transpired therein.

The attendant then fell asleep on his counter soon after the suspects had walked out.

He was discovered by another customer who walked in several minutes after the gang had escaped.

And after he regained consciousness, he explained what had transpired therein. Police were called as part of investigation.

Karen OCPD Cunningham Suiyanka said they arrested the attendant for interrogation because his narrative was not adding up.

“We wonder why and how he opened the door for the said suspects to gain entry to the strong room and access the cash. He is a suspect for now,” said Suiyanka.

He added they suspect the robbery was an inside job.

Police who attended the scene said they had obtained CCTV footage for analysis to help them trace the said thugs.

Suiyanka said they will make a breakthrough in the case by arresting the suspects behind the incident.

The bureau remained closed on Monday to allow for investigation.

In November last year, a gang of thugs dug a tunnel into the Kenya Commercial Bank, Thika branch stealing Sh50 million.

The thieves are said to have accessed the bank’s strongroom through an underground tunnel. They then used oxy-acetylene welding technology to generate a flame that drilled holes in the two safes of the bank that had money.