Perpetua Murungweni
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Masvingo has confirmed the arrest of five armed robbers in Mkwasine after the police picked information from a community WhatsApp group and traced the culprits.
The five suspected armed robbers Eriya Gambare (38), Freddy Hlupeko (18), Givemore Sakajero (43), Isaac Tongani (33) and Cosmas Dzamara (age not given).
Four of them are from Harare expect Hlupeko who is from Zaka.
On April 1, 2023 at around 3 pm, the five robbers reportedly arrived at Chehondo tuckshops in Mkwasine with a Toyota Hilux and two of them Gambero and Sakajero went into one shop where they took US$ 10 from Ladywin Bila at gun point.
The two then proceeded to Vongai Chirume’s shop where they took US$ 20 from her at gunpoint and then went to farm number 10 where they took yet to be known amount of money.
Around 6 pm that same day, information circulated around a community WhatsApp group of the robberies that had occurred in the afternoon and police managed to follow the robbers and caught them at Robson Manyika Business Center in Mkwasine and arrested them.
ZRP Masvingo Provincial spokesperson Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the incident and said police recovered a pistol with a magazine of two rounds which was in the glove compart, electric shockers and dagga.
“The five robbers were arrested and taken to CID Chiredzi. Police recovered a pistol with a magazine of two rounds, electric shockers and dagga.
“We also want to thank the community for working with the police and passing on of information on their community WhatsApp groups that led to the arrest of these culprits. We also urge them not to fully rely on the WhatsApp groups but the communities should report to the police,” said Dhewa.
