CHEGUTU — Police in Chegutu have launched a manhunt for a gang of suspected armed robbers believed to be linked to a spate of heists that rocked the town early last week.
Mashonaland West provincial police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara said the robbers had attacked a gold mine, a local wholesale and a Delta Beverages depot in Chegutu and got away with goods worth thousands of dollars.
He said in all the three incidents, the robbers, believed to be armed with an FN rifle, attacked security manning the premises using iron bars and axes.
In the first incident which occurred last Sunday, two unidentified robbers dressed in Zimbabwe Republic Police uniform stormed Mega Wholesale, owned by Krishna Govhani, and stole goods worth $11 000 after they bundled two security guards manning the premises into their car and drove them to a nearby farm where they dumped them. Police said the stolen property included $1 980 cash, 15 x 60 packs of 20 Madison cigarettes, 20 x 750ml of Viceroy, 10 x 750ml Amarula bottles and a Nokia 1600 cellphone.
The following day, the gang, now comprising four men, allegedly raided Shelgun Mine near Gadzema and stole 200kg of gold carbon after striking a security guard with an axe.
In a related case that happened that same night, 11 unidentified armed robbers ambushed and subdued four security guards manning a Delta Beverages depot situated along the Chakari-Chegutu Road and got away with $39 636 cash.
