Bank robbery was inside job, say police

By Cyrus Ombati

Details have emerged how a gang of three armed men walked away with Sh54 million from Eastleigh Barclays Bank branch in Nairobi in what seemed to be a well planned and executed robbery.

Five people who included three bank staff have been arrested in connection with the Sunday incident, which police believe was an inside job.

This is the biggest bank heist to be recorded this year so far.

The five include the deputy supervisor of the bank, two staff and two security guards who were on duty when the incident happened at about 4.30 pm.

Eastleigh Barclays Bank branch in Nairobi where Sh54m was stolen on Sunday. Photo: Standard

According to the police and management, the bank is among few that usually operate on Sundays because of the booming businesses that are in the area.

The amount stolen was said to have been collected in two days. About Sh34.6 million had been collected on Saturday and Sh19.7 million on Sunday.

The bank staff told police there was some currency that was in US dollars and that they were yet to reconcile the accounts to know the exact figure.

Apparently the money was in two separate strong rooms when the gang struck.

Police said the CCTV tapes that captured the activities before, during and after the robbery, which they could use in their investigations were missing.

The gang is said to have forced the workers present to take them to the security room where the tapes were and confiscated them.

According to witnesses, three Administration Police officers who were guarding the bank had handed over their duties to the night guards who had reported when the incident happened.

"The officers were paid their dues and told to leave because their time was up and they did that leaving the BM security to take charge," said an officer who attended the scene.

By then, the bank had closed the day’s business. Even the doors had been shut and no customers were being let in.

It was after the guards had taken charge that two men allegedly came knocking saying they had huge sums of money they wanted to bank.

Police said the men pleaded with the guards saying the money was in millions and they could not risk going back with the same before they were finally let in.

And as the two were walking in, a third man joined them with a similar excuse that he was a latecomer and had money that he had to deposit.

Preliminary findings show the gang walked into the strong rooms where the money is said to have been kept without any hindrance. They went through four doors into the strong rooms that are upstairs, which police termed as unusual.

It was after they had allegedly grabbed the cash that they later walked into the security room and confiscated the CCTV tape that had recorded their activities. It is not clear if there is any backup of the same.

Witnesses said the gang walked back to the parking lot of the bank where they had parked their pick-up car and drove off without any commotion.

It was then that an alarm was raised and police rushed there few minutes later.

Nairobi Area PPO Anthony Kibuchi said they are interrogating the five as part of their investigations as they hunt for the men who escaped with the cash.

"What is shocking us is the fact that the gang did not even steal the staff’s mobile phones. The staff claim they were forced at gunpoint to take them to the strong rooms," added Kibuchi.

Those who were arrested were yesterday being grilled by Nairobi Area CID boss Peter Muinde.

Bank staff refused to talk to the media saying the matter is before the police even as business went on as usual.