Barclays loses Sh11m after heist at bank’s four teller machines
Google street view of Mutindwa area. An ATM belonging to Barclays Bank was robbed on Saturday. PHOTO | GOOGLE MAP
What you need to know:
Security firm staff sent to check on ATMs found them tampered with and reported to the police
In the first case, Sh6,290,000 was stolen at Mutindwa, Nairobi, at an unspecified time.
According to a police report, the occurrence was reported at 2pm on Saturday by a G4S officer.
A string of robberies during the Easter weekend has left Barclays Bank short of at least Sh11 million after four automated teller machines were broken into.
Police reports show that the theft may have been planned as the machines were either unmanned, tampered with or the CCTV obstructed.
According to the reports, tactical thieves stole Sh11.6 million from three ATMS during three different incidents.
TAMPERED
In the first case, Sh6,290,000 was stolen at Mutindwa, Nairobi, at an unspecified time. According to a police report, the occurrence was reported at 2pm on Saturday by a G4S officer by the name George Ogiro.
The officer said he received a call from Barclays Bank that the ATM was not operating. The machine had been loaded with Sh7 million on Thursday but on Saturday, Sh6,290,000 was found missing.
“The scene was visited and it was established that the ATM is not covered by CCTV cameras. The machine was not manned by any guard,” stated a report from Buruburu Police Station, where the incident was reported
The second incident was also reported by a G4S officer on Saturday at 3.30pm. The case was reported at Industrial Area Police Station by Nickson Oluoch.
The officer said in the report that a sum of Sh1 million had been withdrawn at the Mater Hospital ATM at 7.30am.
The incident was reported on Saturday and according to the report, the money was ‘erroneously’ withdrawn by ‘unknown’ people. The officers had been sent by their logistics manager to service the machine when they discovered that the machine had been tampered with.
“The CCTV camera at the same point was found smeared with petroleum jelly to obstruct view,” stated the report.
REPORT
It was the same case at the Kenyatta National Hospital ATM where some Sh4.315 million was stolen the same day.
The case was reported by Mr Wilson Mzedi, also a staff at G4S. The ATM had been tampered with, “they got a report from the Kenyatta National Hospital Barclays Bank ATM system that it was not working,” states a report from the Capitol Hill Police Station, adding that the incident may have occurred at 9pm on Friday.
A fourth ATM machine was broken into at Kenya Cinema, which police say it did not receive a report about. Speaking to Nation, Nairobi Central Sub-County Police Commander Peter Atavachi said he had not received a report.
The bank confirmed the theft but did not say the stolen amount.
In a statement, Barclays Bank said it was working with investigative authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
“We can confirm that there has been theft at four of our ATMs in Nairobi. We are working with the investigative authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
“We would like to reassure our customers that they can continue to access our services through our branch ATMs countrywide as well as our mobile and Internet banking channels,” the bank said and apologised to its customers for inconveniences caused from the incidents.
