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Crime Reporter 

A Bulawayo company and a liquor outlet lost over US$93 000, R34 000 and $3 000 to armed robbers who raided their premises over the weekend in separate incidents, as police urge the public not to keep large amounts of cash.

No arrests have since been made and police are still looking for the suspects. 

In one of the incidents which occurred at a company along Falcon Street in Belmont, six armed robbers who were wearing balaclavas raided the premise while armed with iron bars and screw drivers on Monday.

They attacked a security guard manning the premise before tying his hands and legs with shoelaces.

Two of the robbers remained guarding the security guard, while the other four broke a window into one of the offices, before breaking the burglar bars.

Police said the robbers then took a grinding machine which they used to destroy a safe that was containing US$43 762, R34 375 and $3 170.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the robbers then took away the keys to the main gate from the security guard before disappearing.

The offence was discovered later on and a report was made to the police.

Meanwhile, a liquor centre outlet also lost US$51 000 cash to unknown criminals who broke into the premises on Sunday night.

The incident occurred along Fife Street in Bulawayo.

Asst Comm Nyathi said the criminals broke into the outlet and stolen the cash before disappearing.

Investigations on the case are in progress.

Asst Comm Nyathi urged companies and individuals to step up security and to also work closely with the police as they believe that some of these cases are being perpetrated by criminals acting on inside information.

Armed robbery cases have been on the increase countrywide since last year with some of the criminals arrested following shoot-outs with the police.

Others were shot and killed, while others are still at large.