Bank robberies becoming ‘standard’

STANDARD Bank yesterday experienced its fourth armed robbery in three months.

According to information given at the scene, three suspects entered the bank’s Gobabis branch just before 09h00, and ordered tellers to empty their cash registers. A fourth suspect was reportedly waiting outside in a white Nissan Navaro.The suspects entered the premises as regular customers would, sources at the scene told The Namibian, and loaded the stolen money into bags they had stuffed into their shirts.Police apparently caught up with the getaway vehicle within two hours of the incident, near the Buitepos border post.It was not clear by the time of going to press what amount of money had been stolen from the bank, nor whether any of this money had been retrieved from the stolen vehicle.At a press conference in Windhoek yesterday, Standard Bank Managing Director Mpumzi Pupuma said that no bank employees were suspected of being involved in the string of bank robberies which have hit the financial institution since March 9.”Nothing lets us believe that any Standard Bank staff are involved and this is definitely not an inside job.It is not clear why Standard Bank is the only target.We suspect that this has to do with the fact that we are the biggest bank in Namibia with the most points of representation, also in more remote and quiet areas,” he said.Pupuma added that since the first incident in March, the bank has been reviewing its security measures and procedures, and that any possible weaknesses will be addressed accordingly.”We have also reiterated and sharpened all our safety and security measures with all our staff in the branches and service centres,” Pupuma said.While the bank would not divulge any information regarding its security systems, sources inside the bank yesterday claimed that there were no security cameras at the Gobabis branch.The entrance also does not have security features, sources said.Staff and customers who were in the bank during the robbery were treated for shock.The branch has 13 employees who were all on the premises, while about four customers were reported to have been inside during the robbery.No one was injured, the bank confirmed.The bank added that it would offer a reward for any information that could lead to the arrest of the robbers.Further information regarding the offer is expected today.Last Monday, a similar robbery took place at Standard Bank’s Northern Industrial Area Service Centre in Windhoek.No arrests have been made in that case.In March and April, the Klein Windhoek and Okahandja branches of the bank had been robbed in similar fashion.The bank has declined to say whether it suspects that the robberies are the work of an organised syndicate.Pupuma said only that “this is not the job of one man”.While he could also not confirm the amount stolen yesterday, he said that it was “less than N$200 000″.A fourth suspect was reportedly waiting outside in a white Nissan Navaro.The suspects entered the premises as regular customers would, sources at the scene told The Namibian, and loaded the stolen money into bags they had stuffed into their shirts.Police apparently caught up with the getaway vehicle within two hours of the incident, near the Buitepos border post.It was not clear by the time of going to press what amount of money had been stolen from the bank, nor whether any of this money had been retrieved from the stolen vehicle. At a press conference in Windhoek yesterday, Standard Bank Managing Director Mpumzi Pupuma said that no bank employees were suspected of being involved in the string of bank robberies which have hit the financial institution since March 9.”Nothing lets us believe that any Standard Bank staff are involved and this is definitely not an inside job.It is not clear why Standard Bank is the only target.We suspect that this has to do with the fact that we are the biggest bank in Namibia with the most points of representation, also in more remote and quiet areas,” he said.Pupuma added that since the first incident in March, the bank has been reviewing its security measures and procedures, and that any possible weaknesses will be addressed accordingly.”We have also reiterated and sharpened all our safety and security measures with all our staff in the branches and service centres,” Pupuma said.While the bank would not divulge any information regarding its security systems, sources inside the bank yesterday claimed that there were no security cameras at the Gobabis branch.The entrance also does not have security features, sources said.Staff and customers who were in the bank during the robbery were treated for shock.The branch has 13 employees who were all on the premises, while about four customers were reported to have been inside during the robbery.No one was injured, the bank confirmed.The bank added that it would offer a reward for any information that could lead to the arrest of the robbers.Further information regarding the offer is expected today.Last Monday, a similar robbery took place at Standard Bank’s Northern Industrial Area Service Centre in Windhoek.No arrests have been made in that case.In March and April, the Klein Windhoek and Okahandja branches of the bank had been robbed in similar fashion.The bank has declined to say whether it suspects that the robberies are the work of an organised syndicate.Pupuma said only that “this is not the job of one man”.While he could also not confirm the amount stolen yesterday, he said that it was “less than N$200 000”.