POLICE in Dar es Salaam are holding four suspects in connection with the theft of 2,275,679,593/- belonging to the NBC bank.
At the same time, eight police officers are being held for questioning for violating the code of conduct and ethics of the profession during the operation to arrest one of the suspects.
The Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) Lazaro Mambosasa, said on Tuesday that the theft occurred on 7th February this year in the city.
As per the police report, the suspects made away with 1.280bn/-, US dollars 402,000 and Euros 27,700.
The arrested suspects include four employees of the G4S security company who were escorting the money to NBC’s headquarters along Sokoine Drive from Kariakoo and Samora branches.
According to Mambosasa, the suspects are Christopher Rugemalila (driver of the G4S car that carried the money), two security guards Mohamedi Ramadhani and Ibrahimu Maunga and Salimu Shamte.
He said on the day of the incident, the first three suspects who were in the Toyota Nissan Hardboard with registration number T728 BAN, instead of delivering the money to the bank’s headquarters from Samora and Kariakoo branches, they drove with the cash onboard, to Temeke Maduka Mawili area near Camel petrol station.
“They then transferred the cash to a Toyota IST car with registration number T134 DHY that was used by Salimu Shamte and drove to an unknown destination,” he said, adding that the suspects abandoned the G4S car, one pistol, one gun and a note counting machine which is a property of CBA bank.
He said after receiving the information, police launched investigations which led to the arrest of the first suspect Christopher Rugemalila on 17 February this year at Mongolandege area, who after inspection, was found with cash and properties amounting to 297.1m/- and US dollars 21,000.
“He was found with 110m/- US dollars 19,000, two houses and one plot worth 107m/-, a BMW car with registration number T691 DSU worth 15m/-, Toyota Runx T909 DSU worth 13m/-,three other Toyota IST cars number T927 DSU, T653 DSU and T857 DSU that worth 11m/- each as well as furniture that he bought at 5m/-,” he explained.
On 21st this month, two other suspects Mohamed and Salumu, were arrested with cash amounting to 332m/- US dollars 50,000 and Euros 5,010, and a Toyota IST car that facilitated theft after the money was moved from the car owned by G4S company.
They had also bought two plots in Kivule and Kisemvule areas, both worth 25m/-. In total, the two were found with cash and properties worth 357m/- US dollars 50,000 and Euros 5,010.
“The last suspect, Ibrahim, was arrested on 24 February this year and he was found with 195.2/- US dollars 70,600, a house which he bought at 30m/- and home furniture worth 10m/-,” he explained, clarifying that in total he was found with cash and properties amounting to 253m/-.
Speaking about the police officers who are under arrest, Mr Mambosasa, without mentioning the names of the detainees, said they failed to comply with code conduct and ethics of the profession during the operation.
“The list of detainees has assistant Inspector, and seven others. We received complaints from the first suspect that the officers took some cash from him, which contrary to the directives and our guidance. We have nothing to do but deal with them regardless of their occupation,” he noted.
Mr Mambosasa said they are still investigating to establish whether there are more people who were involved.
“I may consider this as an inside job because there in no way that a huge amount of money like this can be escorted by only two security guards who had a pistol and a pump gun; we have to establish more,” he said.
