Gang unleashes reign of terror

. . . strips cops at roadblock, kills one at business centre

A gang of robbers attacked and stripped police officers at a roadblock of their uniforms before fleeing, shooting and killing a man at a nearby business centre in Masvingo.

The four unidentified robbers used a stolen taxi get to a traffic checkpoint near Muchakata Business Centre, near Morgenster Mission, south of Masvingo city.

Two of the gangsters armed with pistols had allegedly first hired a Honda Fit taxi at a supermarket in Masvingo city to travel to Nemanwa Growth Point to seek the services of a prophetic healer.

Along the way, near Sikato Primary School, the two told the taxi driver to stop and collect the other two gangsters.

When the driver complied, they robbed him of his vehicle at gunpoint and drove towards Muchakata Business Centre where they encountered a police roadblock along the Muchakata-Nemanwa Road.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the gang of four then fired shots at the traffic police officers before ordering them to lie on the ground.

The gang robbed the police officers of their belongings, including uniforms and sped off, said Asst Comm Nyathi.

‘’The suspects continued on the warpath and robbed another unknown person of his Toyota Fun Cargo vehicle which they took after dumping the Honda Fit. They arrived at a yet to be disclosed business centre in Masvingo where they tried to rob people of belongings before they fatally shot one of the persons who tried to resist.

“They pumped three bullets into the victim’s body but details on the victim’s identity and exact place of occurrence are still sketchy,’’he said.

Assistant Commissioner Nyathi assured members of the public that police were hunting down the gang and they would be soon be arrested.