The Uganda Police Force has issued a warning about a new modus operandi being used by criminals posing as bank customers to identify and track individuals withdrawing substantial amounts of cash.
There has been a rise in robberies targeting bank clients who have withdrawn large sums of money. Criminals, often traveling on motorcycles, follow unsuspecting victims and ambush them along roads.
These robbers demand cash and, in many cases, injure or kill those who resist or refuse to comply with their demands. Over the weekend, businessman Denis Twesigye from Ntinda became a victim of this terrifying trend. After withdrawing cash from a bank in Ntinda, Twesigye was followed to his home by a group of armed thugs. The criminals intercepted his vehicle in a secluded area on the way to Najeera, held him at gunpoint, and made off with the entire sum of money he had withdrawn.
A relative of Twesigye, who wished to remain anonymous, suspects that there may be a link between the robbers and bank employees. The stated that Twesigye narrowly escaped with his life. “When my brother tried to drive away, the thugs aimed their gun at him and almost pulled the trigger. He complied and handed over the bag with the money,” the relative said. According to the relative, Twesigye had withdrawn 20 million shillings to buy a new car for his wife the following morning.
“They threatened him not to try anything, claiming they had seen him withdraw the money from the bank,” the relative continued. “Thankfully, they took the money and spared his life.” The relative expressed concern that the robbers may be getting inside information from bank staff. “What’s alarming is that these thieves seem to know about large withdrawals before the victims leave the bank. Banks have become extremely dangerous places,” he added.
Twesigye is just one of many victims of these targeted robberies. Last month, a group of robbers armed with pangas and traveling on motorcycles trailed and robbed a mobile money agent of over 30 million shillings in broad daylight on Sixth Street in Kampala. This came after another robbery, in which criminals with pangas targeted a businessman who had withdrawn 100 million shillings from a bank in Kawempe. The robbers trailed him to Maganjo, where they cornered his vehicle in a traffic jam.
Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke refuted claims that bank staff could be aiding criminals by providing information about large withdrawals. “You can’t assume a connection between these thugs and bank employees,” Kituuma said. “Banks are public spaces, accessible to anyone, making it impossible to distinguish between genuine customers and potential criminals.”
Kituuma suggested that robbers may be monitoring customers making large withdrawals inside banks and then alerting their accomplices outside to follow the victims.
He added that the Police currently have limited options to tackle these crimes, other than thoroughly investigating each case to uncover any possible links between the robberies.
Last month, a security operation based on intelligence led to the fatal shooting of six suspected robbers. The incident took place at the Stanbic Bank branch in Acacia Mall, Kampala, where the suspects were attempting to rob a bank client.
