Security guards from Zimbabwe’s leading security company arrested for 'stage-managed CIT heist'

Security guards employed by Fawcett Security — Zimbabwe’s leading security company — have been arrested for a stage-managed cash-in-transit heist in which US$334,290 was stolen.

According to police, the security guards connived with armed robbers and claimed they had been robbed of the money on the Bulawayo-Harare highway.

The guards, who were transporting cash from Bulawayo to Harare, claimed they had been robbed at a fake police roadblock on the highway on Thursday.

In a statement, police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the whole episode was theft and an “element of inside job and dishonesty on the part of the security guards”.

“The police have now arrested Fawcett Security guards Bongani Mpofu, Blessing Luwizhi and Josphine Ndlovu in connection with this case, which has turned out to be a pure theft episode.

“Police allege the guards were lying about being approached by two police officers and four civilians who were armed and driving an unidentified vehicle. Comprehensive police checks have shown that there was a truck which had broken down at the point where the guards claim were robbed. According to witnesses, the guards did not stop at this point and their vehicle was clearly seen speeding along the Harare-Bulawayo road towards Kwekwe.

“Two other witnesses saw the security vehicle passing through Connemara and stopping at a shopping centre for unknown reasons which are now subject to investigation. This clearly indicates an element of inside job and dishonesty,” said Nyathi.

In a comical turn, it emerged one of the security guards later posted selfies with wads of new US dollar bills on WhatsApp, leading to the arrest.

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