Police in Bamburi, Mombasa, have launched a manhunt for two armed thugs captured on surveillance cameras robbing an M-Pesa shop on Sunday, February 26, 2023.
A CCTV footage shared on social media on Monday showed the robbers wearing caps and face masks making their way to the shop at 2:07 pm posing as customers.
One of the thugs pretends to be withdrawing some money and is heard confirming the agent number to use with a female attendant who sat patiently waiting to serve him.
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Meanwhile, the second robber is seen checking something in his backpack before he pulls out and brandishes an AK-47 rifle, much to the surprise of the attendant.
The other thug opens the door leading to the counter and orders the now shaken agent to surrender all the money in the shop as his accomplice threatens to shoot the woman if she doesn't cooperate.
“We do not have a problem with you if you cooperate,” one of the thugs shouts at the attendant.
One of the thugs is heard asking for more money as he ransacks the shop that also sells mobile phone accessories.
“Where is the rest of the money?” one of the robbers is heard asking even as the attendant maintains that she had given every penny she had.
The robbers force the woman to lie down as they flee the scene.
“We will leave you here with Kamau to keep watch as we rob the next shop,” they are heard tricking the attendant before making their way out with the money and other items.
Gun-point robbery at Bamburi, Mombasa, Sunday pic.twitter.com/u4gL0L3CHt— Seth Olale (@SethOlale) February 27, 2023
Cases of robbers targeting M-Pesa agents have been on the rise in recent years.
In October last year, a three-man gang riding on a motorbike robbed an M-Pesa agent of Ksh24,000 and three mobile phones in Kabete.
The victim identified as Zipporah Wanjiku was accosted by the three who were armed with a pistol at Kabete Market while heading to her place of work.
She was then ordered to surrender the bag which she had and she aptly complied.
The bag contained three mobile phones used for M-Pesa, Equity, and Airtel Agencies, two points of sale machines for Equity and Co-operative banks and their cards, and Ksh24000 in cash.
"Wanjiku was accosted by three men on a motorcycle while armed with a pistol and ordered her to surrender her bag which she obliged. The bag had three mobile phones for M-Pesa and Equity and Airtel Agencies, two sale point machines for Equity and Co-operative Banks with their cards and Ksh24,000," a police report seen by K24 Digital read in part.
Police officers who were on patrol noticed the commotion and rushed to the scene. The gang, however, managed to get away and escaped toward Naivasha road while riding on a motorcycle whose number plate had been concealed.
