A Fawcett Security guard escaped death by a whisker after being shot with an AK-47 rifle in the head by armed robbers in Bulawayo on Monday night.
The security company’s Alarms Reaction Team reacted to a break-in at a company in Bulawayo’s industrial area where five armed robbers had broken into the company’s premises and attempted to blow open a safe.
The company’s managing director, Andrew Liang, in a letter to clients on Tuesday, said “two of our staff were injured, fortunately not serious. One was shot in the head, apparently with an AK47 rifle, though the bullet creased the skull, and the injury is not life-threatening.”
Laing also revealed that on June 2, in Checheche, six robbers overwhelmed their staffers and forced them to open safes and got away with substantial sums of money.
“They remain on the loose. It is possible (and of course under investigation) that some of our staff were involved. No one was injured,” said Liang.
He also warned that they anticipate more similar incidents and “in liason with the Police we are continually reviewing systems and equipment to counter the threats”.
Liang urged their clients to be “ultra cautious, and to be alert to all normal signs and risks; cash storage, vehicles following, unregistered vehicles, suspicious characters lurking around, valuables lefts in cars, opening doors or gates without checking”.
Armed robbery cases have been on the increase in the country with the police attributing it to an increase in the smuggling of illegal firearms into the country.
Bulawayo Metropolitan Police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident to CITE.
“I can confirm that there was a case of unlawful entry on Monday night. The robbers however did not manage to steal anything. The alarm went off and the security guards from Fawcett were swift to respond. There was an exchange of fire between the two parties resulting in the injury of two security guards. The suspects have not yet been arrested, investigations are still underway,” said Insp Ncube.
