Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
THE long arm of the law has caught up with a daring Karoi robbery trio who thought they could vanish with groceries, guns, and guts — but now face a 12-year stint behind bars instead!
Philimon Sithole (25), Norman Timu (29), and Stephen Ndaradzi (24) were each handed a hefty 12-year sentence at Karoi Magistrates’ Court for a violent robbery that left a local shop owner traumatised and the community shaken.
It was just after 1AM on November 10, 2024, when the peaceful silence of Mabhero Shop at Kingsgrove Business Centre was shattered by a loud bang. The shop owner was jolted awake — only to find himself staring into the eyes of three masked intruders.
One was wielding an iron bar, another fired a gunshot, sending fear coursing through the victim’s veins. Cornered and terrified, he handed over US$800 and car keys. The gang ransacked the shop and loaded up his Nissan NV200 with everything from sugar and cooking oil to peanut butter and macaroni — even his cellphone — before vanishing into the night.
But crime doesn’t pay.
Just four days later, police tracked down Timu and Ndaradzi, boozing at a bottle store in Chinhoyi. It turns out they’d pulled off another robbery in a Honda Fit! The boozed-up bandits quickly sang like canaries — leading cops to Sithole in Chinhoyi CBD, who was caught red-handed with the stolen cellphone.
Cops then raided the suspects’ homes and struck jackpot — recovering the looted groceries and personal items worth US$7 115. The crooks even led detectives to Marondera, where they had abandoned the stolen vehicle after giving cops the slip. Inside: balaclavas, an electric shocker, and more stolen loot.
The total stolen? A whopping US$8 600!
But the streets of Karoi can now breathe easier — as three criminals trade their loot for prison jumpsuits.
