Big-money bank heists always end with the criminals broke or caught

The Wild West days when hood-wearing, gun-toting gangsters ruled the streets - robbing banks and warehouses - are long gone.

Faded, too, are the memories of infamous criminals such as John Kiriamiti whose escapades populate paperback novels.

In recent days, daring robbers siphon millions through technology or what has been a famed smooth set-up where money on transit vanishes under unclear circumstances.

The latest case was on November 6 when Kenyans woke up to shocking news that two security guards had vanished with Sh94 million belonging to a local supermarket.

Police said the cash was supposed to be delivered to a bank in the city centre when the incident happened around 6 am.

It is stated that the two security guards who have since been identified by detectives picked up the cash at Industrial area but left with police escort as usual only for it to emerge hours later that the money was missing.

The vehicle which the guards were using to ferry the cash was later found unmanned in the South C area in a successful heist that has left tongues wagging.

While the heist was smoothly conducted like others in the past, experts warn that the suspects usually run away from the scene but they don't hide for long.

From left: Charles Mwangi Murakaru, Halford Munene Murakaru and Julius Ndung'u Wainaina in a Thika court when they were charged with stealing Sh52 million from Kenya Commercial Bank, Thika branch. [Kamau Maichuhie, Standard]

Three months before the incident, the criminals had rented a commercial property in Thika town next to the KCB bank premises before digging the 120-meter tunnel that helped them access the bank's vault. The gang had renovated the property and put up a sign indicating it was a landscaping company selling both natural and artificial grass as well as other plants.

Neighbours described how they had seen van-loads of soil being removed daily, but understood this to be a normal activity of the business.

Three suspects were arrested in connection to the heist that shocked the country and days later police stated some money was recovered in a woman's house around Thika.

The owner of the building said that the lady had rented the house and lived there for two days only for some money believed to have been recovered from the heist.

The known successful heist happened at Equity Branch in Kayole where a man rented a single room in a plot sharing a wall with the bank building and pretended to be dealing in books.

During his stay, he managed to drill a hole to gain access to the strong room before carting away two safes containing Sh27 million. He was never caught or the money recovered.

What was surprising, however, is that G4S guards manning the bank never heard of any noise while the drilling was taking place. Inside the bank, police found two gas cylinders, welding machines, two blankets and several metallic tools.

Breach security

Security expert Richard Tuta says people entrusted with money in some organisations can easily manage to steal them because they have the ability to breach security protocols.

Tuta explains that in some cases that have been witnessed in the recent past, the culprits could be part of the teams tasked with implementing the security protocols.

For a heist to happen, he says that the suspects must have a high level of trust since they do some things in routine like same vehicles, same routes and other common details that can be easily predicted.

"In that case it is very hard to subject the suspects to a high standard of verification because they are known based on what they usually do," he explained.

To beat such staff with evil plans, the security expert explains that the best method is to be pessimistic, citing those involved in security should be always suspicious of any move.

"Proper background checks should also be carried out on staff which should be regular, for a heist to happen, it means there must have been some signals," he warned.

"The companies should also implement disruptive methods, frequently using different people to carry out some takes, that way it will make it hard for those planning to steal," he explained.

Female partners who are careless, he adds, can also lead to successful arrests by hawk-eyed detectives.

Carrying out a heist that involves millions of shillings could be easy but Tuta says, it could also be easy for the culprits to be caught based on their operations.

He argues that organized crime goes beyond one person thus tracing the suspects makes it an easy task for sleuths.

"They may be using the same money to cover their traces or buy their freedom or to do a cover-up for good," he explained.

At the same time, Tuta says money from the heist is serialized thus once spent it will be easy to trace.

"Tracing for money is very easy because, at some point, the culprits would want to share the money with mistresses or wives or brothers. Another thing is communication, at some point the planners of the heist must communicate,"

He added, "People might have plans to steal and might succeed but beyond that, it becomes a challenge to spend since sometimes they are caught with all the cash intact."