First National Bank (FNB) has confirmed that its Golden Walk branch in Germiston has been temporarily shut down after it became the target of a well-planned bank robbery in the early hours of Tuesday, 22 April 2025.
FNB clears the air on Germiston bank heist
The bank says the closure is a precautionary measure as the safety of its staff and customers remains the top priority.
Zibu Nqala, CEO of FNB Points of Presence, confirmed the incident and said the bank is fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities.
Nqala explained that due to the active investigation into the FNB Germiston bank robbery, the institution is unable to disclose further information, but expressed the bank’s strong condemnation of the crime.
“We encourage customers to use our digital channels for most services and where cash is needed to consider Cash@till withdrawals at our FNB partner stores,” Nqala wrote in a statement to Swisher Post.
What police know at this time
The robbery has shocked law enforcement and locals due to the sophisticated methods used by the suspects.
According to Warrant Officer Sehlangu from the Germiston police, the criminals entered the FNB premises by tunnelling underground from the neighbouring Nedbank building. This method is rarely seen and has drawn comparisons to the 1977 Krugersdorp tunnel heist, where the culprits were never caught.
Inside the Nedbank building, the suspects drilled through the floor and created a tunnel leading directly into the FNB branch.
Once inside, they disabled the alarm system and removed movement-activated cameras, effectively rendering the security system useless.
With the bank’s internal defences down, the robbers broke through a wall to access the vault area. There, they used heavy-duty grinders to cut into three safes. They managed to open two safes and steal a still-undisclosed amount of money. A third safe was damaged but not breached.
After the robbery, the criminals exited through the same tunnel, leaving no physical harm to any individuals but causing significant damage to the property. Police believe the robbers had detailed knowledge of the bank’s layout and security systems.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of an inside job. Although it is too early to confirm any staff involvement, the disabling of security features before accessing the vault has raised suspicions.
Police investigations are ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet. A forensic audit is underway to determine exactly how much money was stolen and how the security systems were bypassed without triggering off-site alerts.
Members of the public with any relevant information have been urged to come forward.