A Harare woman believed to be a foreign currency dealer lost over $17 800 in cash to three armed robbers who approached her in the city centre pretending to be police detectives on Tuesday.
This comes as police have urged members of the public not to keep or move around with large sums of money.
Sources close to the investigations on Thursday said the woman parked her vehicle near Eastgate Shopping Mall before she was approached by the armed robbers.
It is alleged the robbers jumped into her car claiming to be detectives from Harare Central Police Station who were carrying out an operation targeting vehicles that are being used to commit robberies.
The robbers told her to drive to Harare Central Police Station before diverting to Braeside Police Station.
Along the way, it is said one of the robbers grabbed a bag containing the cash while the other one produced a pistol, ordering the woman to stop the vehicle.
The robbers then jumped into a getaway vehicle, believed to be a Toyota Raum and sped off.
The getaway vehicle had been trailing the woman’s vehicle.
A report was made to police and investigations are in progress.
The ZRP recently urged members of the public not to keep large amounts of cash in their houses and business premises.
This followed recent reports of robbers terrorising residents across the country.
In another case under investigation which occurred in Borrowdale, Harare, three suspected armed robbers broke into a house and stole property worth more than $30 000 in cash and valuables.
The three robbers are said to have cut the burglar bars to the bathroom and gained entry into the house. The robbers are said to have broken into the complainant’s room and tied his legs and hands before covering his face with a blanket and demanding money.
One of the robbers is said to have located a safe containing $30 000, which they stole together with an FN Browning pistol, Sony TV, two laptops and a Nokia mobile phone.
The robbers used a getaway vehicle to escape.
