Online Reporter
Arron Nyamayaro
A foreign currency dealer on Wednesday lost more than US$17,000 to a suspected housebreaker in Ruwa.
Edwin Chivhima (50) of Phase 2, Damofalls, Ruwa said he was robbed of US$12,000, R20,000, P3,000, as well as a Tecno Spark 20 phone, a ZTE phone, a Samsung A20S phone, an Itel phone, two power banks and a satchel.
Chivhima’s wife is a foreign currency dealer based at Roadport. Before retiring for the night, he closed all windows, locked the doors and went to bed at around 8pm.
At about 2am, he was awakened by an unfamiliar sound and saw the thief in his bedroom holding the satchel. After realising he had been spotted, the thief jumped through a window and fled.
Chivhima said he later went to the dining room and discovered that the suspect had used an unknown object to force open the window and stole the money.
In another case, Judith Matiza of Westgate Area D lost a total of US$5,000.
Matiza locked her doors and closed her windows before attending a church service.
She returned at around 7pm and discovered that an unknown person had used an unknown object to forcibly open the main door, ransacking the house.
Cash totalling US$5,000, kept in a drawer, was stolen before the thief left unnoticed.
Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, confirmed the incidents and urged members of the public to avoid keeping large sums of money at home or business premises.
“Police are investigating unlawful entry and theft cases involving large amounts kept in homes,” he said.
“We continue to urge people to avoid keeping large volumes of money in parked vehicles, homes or at company premises. We also urge people to avoid disclosing the amounts of money even after selling their properties to avoid robbers and thieves,” Insp Chakanza added.
Mathew Masinge