Puzzle of Sh36m robbery that never was

By Cyrus Ombati

Gunmen duped managers at a security firm and stole Sh36 million without firing a single shot, but police recovered the cash ¨C without a fight.

In what appeared like a story from a movie script, complete with lies, fake identities, guns, suspense, a full police operation that spread to Nairobi, Thika, Kiambu, Limuru, and Naivasha, the money was recovered some 12 hours later intact.

The money was being transported to Garissa town by two Wells Fargo security company vans when the incident occurred at 6am.

According to police and the security company officials, the money had been picked up from Equity Centre in Upper Hill area, Nairobi, on Thursday evening and stored overnight at the firm¡¯s strong room awaiting transportation Friday morning.

Four Administration Police officers were supposed to escort the money and were to be picked up from the Administration Police Training College¡¯s Rapid Deployment Unit headquarters in Embakasi.

The drama, which seemed well planned, started when the driver of one of the security vans went and picked up six gunmen in police uniform and drove them to Wells Fargo strong room.

And by 5.30am they were cleared and hit the road towards Garissa town through Thika Road.

On reaching Juja Town, they diverted towards Juja Farm, where they drove into a rough road about five kilometres off the main highway. A black Nissan X-Trail joined them before the cash, which was in one of the vans, was transferred to the other van. The gunmen drove off with one of the vans and the X-Trail with the security firms¡¯ two drivers and one guard.

They locked up one Wells Fargo guard in the abandoned van after beating him up and handcuffing him.

Back at the Wells Fargo strong room, there had not been any suspicion when the cash was picked. But, later the APs, who were supposed to escort the cash, arrived from Embakasi wondering why they had not been picked up at the agreed time. The officers were informed another crew had left with the cash to Garissa. The managers did not smell a rat and the four police officers were assigned other duties.

Four hours later passersby informed police of an abandoned Cash in Transit Van in Juja Farm. When the officers from Juja Police Station arrived they found the Wells Fargo guard tied and locked up in the van.

He was taken into custody at Thika Police Station where he was grilled. He said he thought they had been carjacked by gunmen because the occupants of the Nissan X-Trail that trailed them into the rough road tied him up.

It was then that Nairobi police were informed of the heist, with the security firm confirming that the abandoned van was one of those destined for Garissa.

A major hunt was later launched in the area and spread to Nairobi, Kiambu, Limuru, Naivasha and other towns in Central Province.

It therefore came as a big relief when the cash was found abandoned in Ndarugo in Thika at 6pm.

Wells Fargo General Manager Patrick Mururo later told The Standard On Saturday last evening they had recovered the cash and the van near the same area where the first one was abandoned.

He said the gang could not break the seals of the cashboxes and abandoned the van.

The Thika OCPD Paul Leting told journalists at Ndarugo that the cash was found intact, with the van¡¯s engine still running. The other Wells Fargo crew ¨C two drivers and a guard ¨C were found in Thika town where they told police that the robbers had dumped them in the town after failing to open the cash safes. They were immediately arrested.

A manager from Equity confirmed that the cash, which was in denominations of Sh100 (Sh1million), Sh200 (1million), Sh500 (Sh3million) and Sh1, 000 (Sh31 million) ¨C was intact.

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