By Beverly Bizeki
Masvingo police recently foiled an armed robbery by three serial robbers who were on the run after a spate of robberies committed in Masvingo and surrounding areas.
The trio who are suspects in a robbery case at Redan Service Station in Masvingo were arrested at Ngundu Growth Point on Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2024) but one was shot dead after allegedly resisting police orders.
In a leaked police memo, two of the three are now in police custody while the other one Pardon Shoko from Runyararo West in Masvingo was shot on the scene and died after resisting a police order as he attempted to shoot at the police.
Police had earlier received a tip-off that the gang was planning a robbery in Chiredzi and would meet at Ngundu Bussiness Centre in Chivi.
Circumstances are that on the day in question, police details received information to the effect that three armed robbers who had been terrorizing Masvingo town with a spat of armed robberies were seen along Masvingo – Ngundu Highway using a silver Toyota Runx vehicle.
A team of eight Masvingo Central Police Intelligence officers and four Support Unit officers formed into two groups and strategically went after the three.
The advance team spotted the three’s vehicle parked at the roadside under a tree and alerted the second team for a reaction.
The three left their vehicle and started walking towards Ngundu Growth Point before they were intercepted by the advance team.
They were ordered to lie down and Shoko resisted which led to him being shot on the shoulder as the police intended to disarm him.
The other two, Brian Jazi from Dangamvura in Mutare and Joseph Makuvise from Gutu were arrested after which police recovered the pistol which was loaded with two live rounds.
A search was conducted on the group where police recovered US$40 and an Itel cellphone from the deceased’s body.
From Makuvise police found a Nokia cellphone and a brown wallet with US$18. Further searches were conducted on the motor vehicle and police found 12 black plastic cable ties, a hammer, black silver torch, TECNO and Huawei cellphones as well as one Shoko’s driver’s license.
Interrogations were further conducted and it was discovered that the group was linked to the Redan Pangolin Service Station and two other robbery cases in Masvingo.
