Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
Suspected armed robbers on Tuesday blew up an automated teller machine (ATM) at a bank in Norton and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The incident occurred at Govans Shopping Centre at around 2 am.
No arrests have since been made, and investigatigations are in progress.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.
“We are investigating an armed robbery incident which occurred in Norton where a safe was blown at Govans Shopping Centre by suspects who are yet to be identified. We will be releasing more details in due course,” he said.
Comm Nyathi said they were still verifying the amount of cash stolen as investigations continue.
The incident comes after, in April, the Zimbabwe Republic Police warned that it remains a criminal offence under the Explosives Act (Chapter 10:08) for any individual to possess or transport explosives without proper licensing or authorisation.
In a statement, Commissioner Nyathi said law enforcement agencies will take firm action against anyone found illegally possessing or transporting explosives without the required authority.
Some of these explosives were believed to have been used in armed robbery cases where criminals targeted businesses keeping large amounts of cash in safes.
There has also been a slight increase in Armed robbery cases countrywide.
In July, more than US$64 000 and R1 000 were stolen in a wave of armed robberies targeting small businesses and cash collection centres in Bulawayo this week alone, prompting police and business players to strengthen collaboration in combating organised crime.
The robberies, which occurred in Emganwini, Cowdray Park and Bulawayo’s central business district between July 13 and 17, have heightened concern over the growing targeting of cash collection operators by armed criminal syndicates.
On July 13, two armed suspects raided a mobile money booth at Emganwini Shopping Centre, escaping with US$2 000 and Econet airtime worth US280.
Three days later, armed robbers targeted another mobile money outlet in Cowdray Park as employees were closing for the day, stealing US$8 653, R1 000 and two mobile phones used for transactions before locking workers and a customer inside an office and fleeing.
The biggest robbery occurred on July 17 when four armed men stormed a cash collection centre along Fort Street in Bulawayo’s central business district while 16 cashiers were reconciling the day’s collections.
The gang reportedly ordered employees to lie on the floor at gunpoint before escaping with approximately US$53 000 in cash.
