The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has addressed speculation regarding the involvement of one of its vehicle’s number plates in last Thursday’s US$4 million armed robbery at an Ecobank branch in Bulawayo.
A group of seven armed robbers reportedly stole three trunks containing US$4.4 million, making it one of the largest bank heists in Zimbabwe’s history. The robbery, which lasted just 149 seconds, occurred at Ecobank’s Parkade Centre branch at the corner of Fife Street and 9th Avenue.
The robbers used a white Ford Ranger as their getaway vehicle, which had the number plate AGP 2333. Initial reports suggested that this plate was linked to the ZNA, but investigations later confirmed it belonged to a different vehicle.
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In response to these rumors, ZNA Director of Public Relations Colonel Alphios Makotore firmly rejected the claims, describing them as misleading and unfounded. “The Zimbabwe National Army wants to inform the public about false WhatsApp messages claiming that a ZNA vehicle’s number plate was involved in the Bulawayo Ecobank robbery. These messages are fake and should be disregarded,” he stated.
Further police investigations revealed that the number plate on the Ford Ranger actually belongs to a Mazda Demio. However, a detective from the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) declined to disclose the owner of the Mazda, as the investigation is still ongoing.
