A former G4S security guard, Kwabena Kissi, has been jailed for three years and four months in the United Kingdom after admitting to a daring fraud in which he posed as a legitimate cash collector and obtained £117,200 from a Santander branch in Brixton, south London.
The court heard that Kissi, now 40, exploited knowledge from his previous employment with G4S and wore an old company uniform to convince unsuspecting bank staff that he had arrived for a routine cash collection. CCTV reportedly captured him entering the branch with his visor down and carrying a black briefcase before staff handed over bags containing the money.
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According to evidence presented in court, the incident happened on 5 July 2022. Kissi had worked for G4S between 2019 and 2020 but allegedly failed to return his uniform after leaving the company. When a bank employee remarked that he had arrived early, he reportedly claimed he was operating on a new route.
The deception was discovered when Kissi failed to return for another collection and the genuine G4S custodian later arrived. By then, Kissi had left with £117,200 from cash prepared for collection at the branch.
Investigators said Kissi used an Uber as his getaway vehicle, but the booking became a major piece of evidence because it was reportedly made using his own name and a phone number known to police. The following day, he flew to Accra, Ghana, and remained there for nearly four years.
Kissi returned to the UK on 26 March 2026 and was arrested at Gatwick Airport. Police said he was still carrying the same phone handset linked to the Uber booking used after the 2022 fraud.
He pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Judge Rosa Dean sentenced him to 40 months in prison, saying he had exploited his inside knowledge. The court also heard about the emotional impact on Santander employees, although the affected staff were not subjected to disciplinary action over the deception.
Defence counsel said Kissi had travelled to Ghana to care for his seriously ill mother, who was in financial difficulty and later died. The court, however, heard scepticism over whether avoiding detection was a factor in his prolonged stay outside the UK.
The case has drawn significant attention because of the simplicity of the disguise, the scale of the cash obtained and the length of time between the 2022 incident and Kissi’s eventual arrest upon returning to Britain.
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