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Crime Reporter
TWO armed robbers attacked six private security guards who were securing monthly allowances at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge, before they got away with over US$60 000 last week.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were investigating circumstances surrounding an armed robbery case which occurred on December 28 last year at Tongogara Refugee Camp.

“Six private security guards who were securing the refugees’ monthly allowances parked their cash-in-transit motor vehicle for the night on the entrance of a room which they were issued to use.

“Two unknown suspects who were armed with an unidentified pistol pounced on the security guards and took from them the motor vehicle keys, keys for Chubb safe affixed to the vehicle and a cellphone at gun point.

“The suspects went on to disarm the security guards of their Norinco pistol with a magazine of eight rounds and a .303 rifle with a magazine of eight rounds. The suspects then opened the safe and stole two trunk boxes loaded with US$60 360 cash.”

The incident comes after police have warned the public against keeping large sums of cash in their homes, business premises and on their persons.

This comes after a Harare businessman lost US$45 000 cash to robbers on December 27 after he was attacked by the gang which was armed with a pistol at the intersection of Glenara and Chiremba roads in Braeside.

The robbers had stopped the victim, who was driving a Land Rover Discovery vehicle at the traffic lights and pointed a firearm at him before dragging him out of the vehicle and snatched a box with the cash which was on the passenger seat.

Investigations are still in progress.

Police have also confirmed the arrest of Blessing Banda (25) and Tinashe Mungadza (38) for theft of a motor vehicle case, leading to the recovery of a Toyota Fortuner vehicle, which was stolen from South Africa.