Blitz on taxi robbers nets seven

intensifies.
Armed robbers have been on the prowl targeting taxis and robbing cabmen of their vehicles, cash, cellphones and car radios.
According to police, about US$6 630 cash, over 16 cellphones and several car radios have been recovered. The seven suspects, who are from Epworth, Glen View and along Mukuvisi River, have so far helped police to clear 16 armed robbery cases.
They are – Lloyd Matengera alias Kabachi (24) the suspected ringleader, Howard Chandakuda alias Wasu (16), Anywhere Chihwehwete (28), Noah Sakarombe (24), Temba Chabvira (21), Clever Mandiyambira (23) and Tonderai Makuya (21).
Police said the seven were still in custody.
They are expected to appear in court today facing a slew of armed robbery charges.
Investigations have also established that Matengera would hire a cab in the CBD to secluded places in Belvedere, Mbare, Sunningdale and Braeside where his accomplices would be waiting in ambush.
After stopping the vehicle in any of these places, the accomplices and Matengera would pounce on their victims before stealing daily takings, cellphones and the cars, which they would later dump.
On June 6, at a around 2am, Matengera hired a Toyota Spacio near Fantasy Land food court in the city pretending to be going to Braeside and along Brooks Road he ordered the driver to stop.
The cabman complied and while he was asking for his money, Chandakuda emerged from the darkness and robbed the driver of US$280 cash and a Nokia cellphone.
The two allegedly ordered the driver to get out and they drove off in his vehicle before dumping it along Chiremba Road in Epworth.
A report was made to the police and acting on a tip off, detectives from the Vehicle Theft Squad arrested the two at their dwellings in Epworth.
They were interrogated and admitted to committing a spate of armed robberies involving taxis and led police to arrest their other five accomplices. Nothing has since been recovered and investigations are still in progress.
In April this year, three taxi drivers lost their vehicles, cash and cellphones in Harare after they were “hired” by armed robbers during the night in separate incidents. The taxi drivers were in most cases approached by a lone gunman who would then asked them to drive to a place were some of his accomplices were hiding waiting to pounce on the victim.
In all the cases the victim lost cash, cellphones, car radios and their vehicles which were later dumped.
In March this year, police expressed concern over an increase in the number of taxis that were being robbed after being “hired” by armed robbers in and around Harare.