Bandits snatch 70m/- from car in daring Dar daylight robbery

ASHERY MKAMA

 President John Pombe (Nicknamed the Bulldozzer)

According to an eyewitness, the bandits, riding on motorcycles, blocked a car with registration number T 262 BKS near the TBC gate at around 3 pm.

“After blocking the car, the bandits ordered its driver and passengers to open the vehicle trunk, before making away with the money in boxes from it,” said the eyewitness, who preferred to remain anonymous. He said pedestrians near the incident, which lasted a few minutes, threw themselves on the ground to avoid gunshots.

“We had to take cover after hearing gunshots near our post. The incident took only some minutes,” a security guard at the broadcasting house gate told this reporter.

He pointed out that one of the bandits had hidden near a TBC billboard, making it difficult for members of the field force unit on guard at the state-owned radio to effectively react.

The ‘Daily News’ witnessed plain-clothed police officers at the crime scene cordoning off the area with the aim of collecting any useful evidence. The eyewitness further said after the incident, some people who witnessed the incident started throwing stones angrily at the FFU members who were guarding the TBC headquarters, claiming that they failed to promptly and effectively respond to the situation.

He added that the car targeted by the robbers had four people, including two of Asian origin, who were heading to Huba Bank branch located along Nyerere Road. Some traffic policemen were seen at the nearby Tanzania Health Occupation Hospital (Dar Group) carrying out initial investigations.

Efforts by the ‘Daily News’ to get a comment from the Temeke Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Andrew Satta, proved futile as his phone was not picked up.