Mutare was shaken on Monday night as a brazen gang of three armed robbers pulled off a daring heist and left behind a trail of terror and stolen goods.
The incident, which unfolded along Simon Mazorodze Road around 9pm, saw the robbers tie up security guards with shoelaces, steal a car, US$700, and a heavy Chubb safe containing an undisclosed amount of cash.
So heavy was the safe that the robbers even asked their hostages to help them carry it to the gateaway car they had also stolen from the same hostages.
The drama began when the three robbers, their faces concealed by balaclavas, scaled the precast wall of Prime International Security’s premises.
Armed with pistols, a hammer, and metal rods, they stormed into the company’s compound, their presence a chilling reminder of a Hollywood action film.
Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, confirmed the incident, detailing the terrifying ordeal faced by the security guards.
“Alistas Kadera (33) and his workmate Brighton Mutsago were on duty when the robbers pounced. Two of the suspects were described as heavily built, and were armed with small pistols. They ordered Mutsago not to move, lest they shoot him,” he explained.
The robbers displayed a chilling disregard for human life and proceeded to tie the guards’ hands with shoelaces after threatening to shoot them.
They then moved towards a nearby cottage, forcing their way into the home of Ms Nicole Masiyazi (19) and her mother, Ms Sarah Silver (52), who were asleep at the time. The robbers, without a moment’s hesitation, marched the terrified women to where the security guards were being held hostage.
Their search for loot led them to the company’s offices, where they smashed through padlocks and ransacked the rooms while their eyes were fixed on finding cash. They discovered a Chubb safe, but their attempts to blast it open with their tools proved futile.
Undeterred, the robbers ordered their hostages to help them carry the heavy safe. The victims, bound by fear and the threat of violence, were forced to assist the thieves in their escape, a horrifying testament to the robbers’ control over the situation.
The armed trio vanished into the night and left behind a scene of chaos and fear.
