Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
Three armed robbers pounced on Chicken Slice’s fast food outlet, Nice Time Lodges and Uniqerama Truck Inn along the Harare-Masvingo Highway on Thursday and got away with money and property worth over US$5 000.
Acting Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the robbery, which occurred at around 2am when the three robbers — armed with a knife and a pistol — pounced on the three outlets in Mvuma.
They also stole a laptop and cellphones.
“It is alleged that at 2.15 am, the three robbers went to Chicken Slice where one of them bought a chocolate bar and tendered a US$10 note to a female till operator,” Insp Goko
said. “The robber seized an opportunity when the till operator opened the till to give him change and demanded money from her.
“The till-operator resisted, but was stabbed with a knife on the arm by one of the suspects. Another accomplice produced a pistol and ordered other shoppers to stand still.
“The first suspect took cash amounting to US$516 from the till, while the other suspect who was armed with a pistol took a Samsung cellphone from another till operator before proceeding to the third till where they stole US$8.”
Insp Goko said the robbers then went to Nice Time Lodges along the same highway where they stole an HP laptop, NE70 Nokia cellphone, Samsung Galaxy TAB2 and US$300 from a client whom they found in one of the rooms.
“After pouncing on Nice Time Lodges, the robbers proceeded to Uniqerama Truck Inn where they pounced on two South Africa-bound truck drivers,” he said.
“Two of the robbers went to a truck which was moving slowly and opened the driver’s door and jumped in.
“The duo took the driver’s licence, passport, US$140 and a Nokia cellphone at gunpoint.
“The two disembarked from the vehicle and proceeded to another truck which was parked nearby. The suspects woke the driver up and produced a pistol and took US$2 150, 700 meticais, one Samsung Galaxy, Steppe cellphones and three work suits.
“They went on to steal US$125 from Uniqerama shopkeepers at gun point.”