A member of a gang of armed robbers who targeted Mukuru Money Transfer agency around Harare in the past few weeks has been arrested and has told a court he will plead guilty to two counts of robberies.
He will also plead guilty to another count of illegal
possession of explosives which were found in his car.
The latest robbery happened on Saturday in Beatrice.
Clever Chada of Stoneridge is facing SEVEN armed robbery
charges.
He was not asked to plead when he appeared before regional
magistrate Tilda Mazhande, who remanded him in custody.
Chada told the court that he will plead guilty to two of
the robberies and another count of illegal possession of explosives recovered
from his car.
It is alleged that on December 16, last year, Chada and his
gang of armed robbers connived to rob the Mukuru Money Transfer Glen View
booth.
They went to the shopping centre in a black Toyota Mark X,
which they parked outside the booth, and confronted the complainant, Tawanda
Tagara, who was on duty serving clients.
Chada and his gang fired shots into the air at the same
time ordering everyone who was in the booth to lie down.
They pointed their firearms at Tagara and ordered him to
open the booth and demanded money.
He complied.
Tagara was ordered
to open the cash box containing US$1 839 and R2 350 and the money was put into
the gang’s black satchel bag.
The gang searched one of the clients, Proud Muchairi, and
stole his brown wallet containing cash amounting to US$950, his defensive
driver’s licence, business cards and escaped.
They fired shots into the air as they escaped.
The gang teamed up on December 20 and went to Mukuru Money
Transfer Mabvuku booth at Kamunhu Shopping Centre.
The gang was driving in an unmarked silver Toyota Sienta.
They parked their car at a distance and confronted the
complainant, Belinda Chapepura, who was busy serving a customer.
They fired shots into the air.
Chapepura quickly pressed a panic button, which is linked
to the Safeguard Rapid Response, but that did not deter Chada and his gang.
They ordered everyone who was in the queue to lie down and
kept firing shots into the air.
They threatened to shoot Chaperura as they demanded cash. She surrendered US$1 374 and R22 000. The gang escaped in their getaway car.
On January 3, the gang connived to rob Mukuru Money
Transfer Booth at Manyame complex.
Armed with unidentified types of pistols, the gang drove to
the scene in their unmarked silver Toyota Sienta, which they parked outside the
complex.
The gang confronted Munyaradzi Rusere and Sarafina Banda,
who are both employees of Mukuru Money Transfer, threatening to kill them if
they did not hand them money.
One of the gang members opened the door of the booth, took
two cash boxes containing US$5 530 and R18 700.
One of the gang members confronted Sarudzai Pupajena, who
was seated in an EcoCash booth, opened the door of the booth and took US$680 in
cash and a G-tel cell phone.
Another member of the gang fired one shot into the air
while inside the shop before they got away.
On Saturday, the gang attacked a Mukuru Money Transfer
Booth in Beatrice.
They attacked Simbarashe Mutirandwa, together with his
workmate Tatenda Walter Muchenje.
One of the gang members was wearing a face mask.
He was asked to lower the mask as the tellers are not
allowed to serve customers without a full view of their faces.
The gang member suddenly drew a pistol from his bag and
pointed it to the teller’s face, demanding the booth’s door keys.
The teller surrendered the keys and the gang stole US$3500
from a box and ransacked the booth in search of more money and other valuables.
They stole the teller’s Samsung A35 cellphone and two
cellphones belonging to Mukuru.
They locked the two tellers in the booth. Chada was arrested after a tip-off was made to the police.
The police searched his car and this led to the recovery of
three Thunder T90 explosive dynamites, one Emex explosive dynamite and
detonator cables, without a valid licence, which authorised him to be in such
possession. H Metro