Norton Bank ATM Blown Up in Early-Morning Raid

An ATM at a bank in Govans Shopping Centre, Norton, was blown up by unidentified suspects in the early hours of Tuesday morning in an armed robbery that has prompted a police investigation.

The incident occurred at around 2 am, with police yet to establish how much money, if any, was stolen from the ATM. No arrests had been made by Wednesday, as investigators continued efforts to identify and track down the suspects.

Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident, saying a safe at the shopping centre had been targeted.

“We are investigating an armed robbery incident which occurred in Norton where a safe was blown at Govans Shopping Centre by suspects who are yet to be identified. We will be releasing more details in due course,” Nyathi said.

Details surrounding the raid remain limited, including the number of suspects involved, the explosives allegedly used and whether the criminals managed to gain access to cash.

The incident comes just over a week after another bank robbery in which suspects allegedly broke into a ZB Bank branch at Mpandawana Growth Point in Gutu through the roof. In that case, the robbers reportedly targeted an ATM inside the bank and allegedly used explosives to break it open before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money. The two incidents have renewed concerns over security at financial institutions and ATMs, particularly the use of explosives during robberies.

Police have not indicated whether the Norton and Gutu incidents are connected. Investigations into the Norton robbery are continuing, and police are expected to release further details as more information becomes available. Authorities have appealed to anyone with information that could assist in identifying the suspects to contact the police.

Norton ATM robbery