Guards missing after Sh30m theft at Chase Bank

Related News

·       Why stolen billions threaten free polls

·       Believe in money myths at your peril

·       Secret plea for money from a mountain

·       How to avoid getting broke abroad

SHARE THIS STORY

Updated 2 hrs 13 mins ago

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.

The two posed as escort guards from a private security firm and took the money from the Co-operative Bank headquarters along Haile Selassie Avenue.

The money had been withdrawn by cashiers from Jamii Sacco and was supposed to be delivered to their South B offices when the bogus guards showed up. Police said the Sacco had contacted BM Security to help them deliver the money.

The cashiers went to the bank on Tuesday, withdrew the money and sealed the same in a box.

Police said the bogus guards, donning the security guards company uniforms showed up. They had a delivery book which the cashiers signed to show they had handed over the money to the guards and left.

The cashiers were shocked when they arrived at their offices and waited until 7pm without seeing the guards.

When they called the BM offices to establish the whereabouts of the guards, the management said they were not aware of the alleged “delivery”.