Robbers get away with US$2.5 mln

Harare, (New Ziana) – Police are investigating a case in which a cash in transit vehicle was robbed of US$2.5 million and ZWL$40 000, an official said on Thursday.

Sources say the money belonged to a bank.

Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the robbery, which has generated a lot of social media debate, happened near Gwebi Bridge, along the Harare-Chinhoyi highway.

The robbed were three complainants who were transporting cash in a Toyota Hilux to a yet-to-be disclosed destination.

The trio are understood to have given a lift to six men at Westgate shopping mall and Inkomo Barracks turn off, who turned out to be robbers.

“Along the way, they picked up six males at Westage and Inkomo turn-off. On approaching the Gwebi bridge lay-bye the driver stopped the vehicle as one of the complainants wanted to relieve himself,” Nyathi said in a statement.

“One of the passengers produced an unidentified pistol and fired one shot in the air while his accomplices disarmed one of the complainants of his 303 rifle.”

The accomplices then tied the three complainants and drove into the bush where they loaded the cash into a red Toyota vehicle and drove off.

While the police is appealing for information on the suspects, social media debate has largely pointed to the robbery being an inside job in which one or all the complainants are involved.

The fact that one of the complainants asked the driver to stop at a place where a getaway vehicle was parked, while it might be a coincidence was highly suspicious, people argued.
New Ziana