adminThe suspected robbers lure their targets using money before robbing them of property.
Usually, one of the syndicate members moves around the city and when he spots a victim, he will throw a bunch of money in front of the target and then convinces him or her that they should share it.
Later on, the alleged robber would be joined by other accomplices impersonating police officers and then search and rob the target before disappearing into the streets.
Several people have fallen victim to such tactics where they have lost cellphones, cash and other valuables.
A Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment employee in Bulawayo, Ms Ennette Ndaba (26), of 11170 Nkulumane 11 recently lost cash and valuables when she fell victim to suspected robbers in the city centre.
Her alleged assailants, Thomas Chinhlonga, of 2646 Cowdray Park and Peo Maranga of 2568 in the same suburb were arrested on Thursday after she spotted them in the city centre one month after the alleged robebry.
Chinhlonga and Maranga are now facing a charge of fraud.
They were not formally charged when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sophie Matimba yesterday to answer to the charge.
They were remanded out of custody in their own cognisance and will next appear in court tomorrow for trial.
The State’s case as presented by Mr Robin Mukura is that on 20 October at about 11.30am while at the corner of Leopold Takawira Avenue and Samuel Parirenyatwa Street, Chinhlonga and
Maranga approached Ms Ndaba with a bunch of money.
The court heard that Chinhlonga threw the bunch on the ground in front of Ms Ndaba and pretended as if it was not his.
He then allegedly picked it and told Ms Ndaba that he was a soldier and they were supposed to share it.
He reportedly also told her he was a member of the Apostolic Church and so they should pray before sharing the money, but the complainant reportedly refused to kneel down to pray.
Oblivious of what was happening, Ms Ndaba was then approached by three other men who claimed they were members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the money they picked belonged to their “company” and had been looking for it.
The court heard the gang started searching Ms Ndaba and took away her Nokia 2600 cellphone, and $201 cash and disappeared into the streets.
Ms Ndaba spotted the two in the city centre on Thursday and alerted the police leading to their arrest.
The total value of stolen property was $336 and nothing was recovered.
Online Reporter