Maboleni Mukuru booth hit twice within a month, loses thousands in USD and ZAR to armed robbers
By Delicious Mathuthu
Armed robbers seem to have found a new playground for their criminal activities in Lower Gweru as they have hit a Maboleni Mukuru booth twice within a month, getting away with more than US$28 000 and almost ZAR83 000.
Despite two of the three armed robbers that raided the Mukuru outlet in the first robbery, on the 28th of March 2023, having been arrested, trialed and jailed, the latest incident saw three more armed robbers using explosives to gain access to more than US$27 000 and over ZAR66 000 on the 22nd of April 2023.
These robberies happen barely a month apart, raising speculations among villagers and the public in general, mostly on social media, that this could involve people with inside information.
More so, some have questioned why the booth, located inside a hardware shop, keeps large amounts of cash overnight with minimum security measures in place to protect the money.
National Police Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed the latest Maboleni robbery.
“Police in Gweru are investigating circumstances surrounding a case of unlawful entry into premises and theft which occurred on 22/04/23 at Maboleni Business Centre, Lower Gweru.
“Three unknown suspects armed with unidentified weapons blasted a Mukuru money transfer booth which was located in a hardware shop, before going away with US$27 087.00 and ZAR 66 300.00.
“Police recovered one unused Megamite EMEX 70 at the scene,” Asst. Com. Nyathi said.
Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspects and have appealed to members of the public that may have information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to report at any nearest Police Station.
Late last month three armed robbers armed with a pistol, raided the same Mukuru booth in Mabolemo and got away with US$1 194 and ZAR16 600.
Two of the three suspects from the first robbery were later arrested in Nkayi the same evening of the robbery, at around 8 pm on their way to Bulawayo.
Exactly a month before the 28 March Maboleni robbery, another Mukuru booth at Crossroads Business Centre in Silobela, Midlands, about 85 kilometers from Gweru along the same direction, on the 28th of February 2023, was raided by a six men gang brandishing pistols, midday.
The gang got away with US$1 800 and ZAR7 800.
Officer Commanding Police in the Midlands Province, Commissioner Winston Muza late last year expressed concern over the increase in cases of armed robberies involving firearms in the province.
Speaking during a joint Provincial Business Against Crime Forum (BACFOZ) and Crime Liaison Committee (CLC) Conference, on the 28th of October 2022, Commissioner Muza indicated that armed robberies involving guns and other weapons in the Midlands had risen by 81%, at the time.
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