Equip yourselves with safety tips when transporting cash

By John Kamya The increasing incidents of attacks on cash in transit calls for review of safety measures in place, with a view to reducing the loopholes and to ensure that money is transported safely to its destination. When a large amount of cash is to be moved, it is often advisable that it is moved in professionally built vehicles, by professional security people. If that cash is moved in the holders own vehicle, the following tips should be followed: l Knowledge of movement must be restricted to the people necessary for the job. l Close attention should be given to the security precautions within premises. Most recent attacks indicate a likelihood of knowledge of the full movement of the money by the thugs, and this indicates information leakages either from the banks or from the businesses withdrawing the money. l It is advisable that a closed vehicle should always be used in conveyance of moderate to large sums of money. l For businesses which withdraw and bank every day, the times of collection or deposit should be varied so that the thugs do not study your routine transfer of money, and therefore plan the attacks. l Vary the routes where possible, bearing in mind that busier routes are safer than quiet ones (remember the famous Acacia Avenue attack on an Alarm Protection van, in March 1995). When the amount is big, the route should be surveyed first. l Consider the use of a decoy vehicle. A vehicle used for regular transportation of cash should be, maintained in good mechanical condition, fitted with additional security door fastenings, fitted with an immobiliser, with a distinctive alarm and the car should have a full fuel tank before each journey. Within the vehicle, additional safeguards should be provided such as, a vehicle safe secured/welded to a substantive part of the vehicle, body structure, ring bolts welded to the chassis, through which may be threaded cable or steel chain secured to the cash container. An alarm bag and an additional, weighted decoy container is also necessary. l The driver should remain in the vehicle at all times, with the doors closed and with immobilisers and alarm set. l The driver should be given route instructions only when the money and personnel are safely inside the vehicle, with the doors locked. l The transporters should have a mobile phone or any other communication device. There should also be a list of telephone numbers of police stations along the way in case of an ambush. Ends