Police
in
Manicaland
Province
have
warned
the
public
against
boarding
unregistered
or
private
vehicles,
following
a
series
of
robberies
targeting
passengers
in
Mutare
and
Headlands.
Acting
provincial
police
spokesperson,
Wiseman
Chinyoka,
said
that
the
suspects
are
posing
as
taxi
drivers
to
prey
upon
unsuspecting
commuters.
“The
armed
robbers
are
usually
in
pairs
or
groups
of
four,
and
they
are
mostly
operating
along
highways,”
he
said.
In
one
instance,
27-year-old
Bradley
Runoza
of
Natview
Park,
Mutare,
was
robbed
of
US$400
and
a
Samsung
A05
mobile
phone
on
Monday.
Runoza
had
boarded
a
Toyota
Mark
X
at
the
Wengezi
bus
stop
at
approximately
6
pm,
intending
to
travel
from
Chimanimani
to
Mutare.
The
vehicle
already
contained
four
occupants.
Upon
reaching
the
16
Miles
area
in
Zimunya,
the
driver
diverted
from
the
main
road
under
the
pretext
of
collecting
a
relative.
Once
off
the
highway,
one
suspect
reportedly
grabbed
Runoza
by
the
neck
while
the
others
searched
him,
seizing
his
wallet
and
phone
before
abandoning
him
by
the
roadside.
No
property
has
yet
been
recovered.
In
a
separate
incident
on
Sunday,
police
in
Headlands
launched
an
investigation
into
a
robbery
along
the
Harare–Mutare
Highway.
Taurai
Kayeruza
(40),
of
Phase
2,
Mutare,
boarded
a
silver
Toyota
Runx
with
two
male
occupants
at
the
Macheke
bus
terminus.
When
the
vehicle
reached
the
130km
peg,
one
of
the
suspects
allegedly
produced
a
knife
and
demanded
cash
and
valuables.
The
assailants
made
off
with
a
Samsung
M14
mobile
phone,
a
wallet
containing
US$33,
a
leather
belt,
and
a
denim
jacket.
Kayeruza
was
ordered
out
of
the
vehicle
before
the
suspects
sped
off.