Mobile Money, bank agents the latest targets of armed robbers

Dar es Salaam. The Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police has called upon forex bureaus and mobile money agents to take security precautions against possible attacks following a wave of criminality that has emerged at the beginning of this year.

This comes after the Police arrested suspects who raided mobile money and bank agents in Madale, Kariakoo, Kunduchi Mtongani, Vikindu, Keko and Goba.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Commander, Jumanne Muliro said that on August 8, at Mabibo External area, the police arrested the criminals who were plotting to rob a shop in the neighbourhood.

Mr Muliro said that after the suspects realized that they had been surrounded by police officers, one of them drew his pistol and fired at the officers, they were eventually overpowered in the exchanges that ensued and were arrested.

He said that the arrest was based on a tip off on the existence of the criminal group that appeared to have started committing various armed crimes from January 1 to 7 this year.

According to him, preliminary investigations show that some of the suspects had previously been arrested and stayed in Keko prisons on suspicion of murder and extortion and were released in 2017 and one of them fled to a neighboring country and then returned to the country at the end of 2022

Early this week, a video clip that has circulated on social media shows footage taken from CCTV cameras showing armed criminals invading the store and ordering people to lie down demanding money.

Sources have since confirmed that the incident happened in the Goba Kulangwa, however the criminals did not succeed after the victims sought immediate help.

Mobile Money agent, Fortunatus Luhemeja, admitted that the attempted robbery targeting his business took place on the evening of January 7 this year after the criminals invaded and gave instructions to give money.

“After an alarm went off they were confused and fired randomly in air to disperse the crowd as they left hastily before the police could arrive at the scene,” said Luhemeja.

Josephat Simamatosombi another mobile money and bank agent in Kunduchi Mtongani wasn’t as lucky after his shop was attacked on January 5, his attempts to conceal the money nearly cost his life.

"They came and attacked me and wanted me to show them where the money was, I was resistant and they hit me with the butt of a gun and took Sh3 million and left," said Simamatosombi

Speaking to Mwananchi, The Citizen's sister paper, an expert on security issues, Emmanuel Mkondya said that as in the case of banks, the business should be done based on security principles to get rid of the risk.

"Many do not prioritize security, you will find someone conducting large transactions but without any protection, my advice is that they should avoid meeting face to face with customers and this is done by installing metallic windows.

"There are those whose offices are like shops, they should install bullet proof glasses, it is also important to put the business in an area where it is easy to get help in case of an incident," he said.