EIGHT masked men, armed with iron and crow bars, reportedly broke into a Mukuru shop in Harare’s central business district yesterday and escaped with a safe containing US$7 225 and ZW$20 000 after scaring away a private security guard and a caretaker.
By Richard Muponde
The incident reportedly happened at around 2am at Nobert House at the corner of Harare Street and Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said he was in a meeting, but a leaked police memo said the eight armed robbers were using an unregistered black Toyota Wish.
“They went on to break the pedestrian gate with a crow bar and later the main gate. After that they drove their vehicle into the yard. This was after they had broken the screen door to a Mukuru shop and got inside. They stole a safe which they loaded into the vehicle and went away,” the report said.
The security guard ran away and hid behind the building and phoned his employer, Angishita Jani, but was advised police numbers were not going through until the robbers left the scene.
A caretaker observed three of the eight robbers walking away from the shop through a hole on the door and asked them about their intentions before they threatened him with unspecified action.
“They ordered him to come out, but he refused. That is the time he saw them reversing their vehicle into the yard and loading the safe and a CCTV DVR before they made off with their loot,” the memo added.
