Police struggle to break spiraling ATM blasting
Pini Bothoko | Monday September 5, 2022 06:00
Burglars continue to break open ATM using explosives and getting away with large sums of money. To date, the police are still struggling to crack down on spiraling ATM blasting in greater Gaborone as there has been no breakthrough in the latest cases.
The speedy arrest of the recent attempted cash-in-transit heist suspects at Riverwalk mall is a clear testimony that police have upped their game but one can say that the same energy is needed to curb the escalating ATM blasting cases.
Criminals continue to strike and simply disappear into thin air, leaving no trace hence the need for the police to come up with a strategy to pounce on ATM blasting criminals and make arrests.
These criminals are currently keeping the police on their toes with most cases ending up unsolved. Weeks ago, the greater Gaborone was hard hit by a string of ATM blasting at night, blasting them (ATMs) open and criminals walking away with large sums of money threatening the banking business.
This emerging trends where criminals use explosives is a serious concern to the banking industry because it is not only just the loss of cash or damage to property that the banks need to worry about, but also the threat to human lives.
In all of the recent four cases in the greater Gaborone, thieves walked away with thousands of pula and to date the police are yet to make a breakthrough in those cases. Last week, a Stanbic bank ATM was blasted in Ramotswa and robbers managed to get away with the sum of P58,660 and R83,000 respectively and no arrest as been made as yet. In an interview with Mmegi, the Acting Station Commander of Ramotswa Police, Assistant Superintendent Brendy Maila said investigations into the matter are ongoing to locate and arrest the suspects.
He, however, stated that criminals’ tracks were from South Africa and they returned after the incident. “We managed to recover some money which remained after the ATM blast.
The expected cash in the ATM was P315,240 as well as R84,800 and a total of P256,580 was recovered and R1,800 from the rubbles,” Maila said. Earlier in July, five unknown men blasted Phuthadikobo Total filing station’s First National Bank (FNB) ATM in Molepolole and made away with over P800,000. Reached for an interview, Molepolole Police Station Commander, Superintendent Benedict Matlho said they have not made any breakthrough in the matter as suspects are still at large.
However, Matlho said investigations into the matter are ongoing to locate and arrest the suspects. In another matter, mid July, criminals also blasted a Stanbic Bank ATM by Sefalana Shoppers in Metsimotlhabe and made away with undisclosed amount of cash and later fled the crime scene. To date, the Mogoditshane police have not yet made a breakthrough in the matter. This was confirmed by No. 13 Officer Commanding, Senior Superintendent Agreement Mapeu when reached for an interview by this publication.
“We have not yet made a breakthrough in this matter, suspects are still at large but investigations into the matter are ongoing to locate and arrest the suspects,” Mapeu said. Still in July, another Stanbic Bank ATM was blasted in Oodi and criminals made away with large amounts of money.