Mukuru Booth Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested
Three suspected armed robbers who allegedly robbed a Mukuru outlet in Lower Gweru last month were arrested a few hours after committing the crime.
Tapiwa Zhazha (31), Courage Bongani Moyo (31), and Gift Ncube (24) were intercepted by alert police detectives who acted on a tip-off and arrested them.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson in Midlands Province, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the arrest of the trio. He said:
Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of three armed robbery suspects in connection with a robbery of Mukuru Shop at Maboleni Business Centre in Lower Gweru.
Once again police would like to applaud members of the public who supplied information that led to the arrest of the three suspects.
Allegations are that three suspects confronted Michael Mpofu (23) of Maboleni on 28 March at around 10 AM at his workplace manning Mukuru Shop.
One of the suspects pointed a pistol at Mpofu and demanded cash. The complainant complied and gave the three men all the money in the cash box.
After committing the offence, the suspects fled the scene in a getaway car, a Honda Fit. Said Mahoko:
On the same day at around 8 PM, information was received to the effect that the three suspects had been spotted in Nkayi heading towards Bulawayo.
Police swiftly reacted and arrested the three suspects leading to the recovery of a Star Becheverria Pistol, 9mm calibre, with five rounds of ammunition, R5 010, US$64, and a Samsung Galaxy M13 cell phone.
Armed robberies are on the increase in Zimbabwe as a lot of people now prefer storing value in US dollars often stocked away from formal banking institutions for fear of losing them.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, Zimbabwe recorded 1 120 armed robberies in 2021, compared with 931 in the previous year.
In 2022, in a bid to reduce robberies and rampant gun crime in Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa extended a gun amnesty that allowed Zimbabweans illegally in possession of firearms to surrender them to the police with no questions asked.
More: Pindula News
