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Chief Supt Nyathi

Crime Reporter

TWO armed robbers raided a service station in Macheke and got away with $730 and a Mitsubishi Pajero while two others robbed a bus conductor after fring a shot into the air.National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi confirmed the incidents. He said the first incident occurred at Dutch Service Station in Macheke last Friday at around 2am.

“Two robbers who were armed with a pistol attacked three complainants who were on duty at the service station in Macheke and stole their valuables which include eight cellphones which had been left by different people for charging, cash amounting to $730 and they demanded car keys of a Mitsubishi Pajero that had been left for safekeeping at the service station and drove away,” he said.

He said in another incident which occurred in Zaka at around 3am last Friday, two armed robbers who were passengers in a bus that was travelling from Beitbridge to Harare grabbed and dragged the bus conductor to a secluded place.

They fired one shot into the air and got away with $739 and an LG cellphone. Chief Supt Nyathi also said that four armed men robbed a Harare man of his car last Friday night near the intersection of Bishop Gaul Avenue and Princes Roads in Belvedere.

The four are reported to have blocked the man’s vehicle using their getaway car and assaulted him before speeding off. Chief Supt Nyathi said they were still investigating all the cases and appealed to members of the public to assist them with information that might assist them to contact any nearest police station.

Meanwhile, police have arrested three suspected cattle rustlers in Dema after they allegedly stole a beast in the area.

“On 17 January 2017 at around 1600 hours, a 64-year-old man penned his cattle and the following day he discovered that one beast was missing. He reported the case to the police and investigations were carried out which led to the arrest of three accused persons and recovery of some of the meat in Dema and at Chikwanha Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza,” he said.

Chief Supt Nyathi warned all criminals that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them and they will face the full wrath of the law.

Meanwhile, a 33-year-old man was arrested for stealing various items valued at $2 737 on different occasions at Chikurubi Support Unit Camp in Harare between November last year and January this year, writes Anesu Chakabva.

Grayson Singandi pleaded guilty to the charges and was remanded in custody to today when he will appear before Harare magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.

The accused faces charges of unlawful entry and theft as defined in the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act). It is alleged that in November 2016, Singandi went on a housebreaking spree getting away with several items which included laptops, cellphones and clothes.

On the first count Singandi went to House No. 170 Block 15 Support Unit Camp and got away with a Toshiba laptop and shoes. The accused allegedly went on to break into another house in the camp, which houses prison officers and their families, and stole an HP laptop, two cellphones – a Samsung and a Huawei.

Singandi allegedly continued to break into more houses within the prison complex getting away with more items. He is assisting the police in the recovery of the stolen goods. Property valued at $2 200 has since been recovered.

The accused was recently released from prison for committing similar crimes and was therefore denied bail as his current charges are an indication of failure to reform. Miss Audrey Chagumira prosecuted.