News / National
Armed robbers escape with $14,000 at Montana Meats
27 Mar 2017 at 06:53hrs | Views
Six robbers with two of them armed hit Montana Carswell Meats along Lithium Road in the industrial area of Masvingo recently and got away with $13 800 from the safe.
These is the fourth armed robbery in Masvingo inside five weeks.
Craig Greeff who is the manager at the company confirmed the incident but declined to disclose the actual amount. He however, said they had to keep cash in the safe because they needed to pay farmers who cannot access money from the Banks.
"Two robbers were armed while four others were not. They wore masks and broke into our premises through the back fence and dismantled the CCTV then tied up the security guard with shoe strings and forcibly opened the front door. They blew up two safes using dynamite and took some few thousand dollars.
"We keep the money to pay our farmers. Because of the cash crisis we can't put the money in the bank since we won't be able to get it back in cash," said Greeff.
When contacted for comment Masvingo Province Assistant Police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said, "We encourage businesses to deposit their daily takings in order not to make it lucrative for robbers".
Greeff said the security guard managed to escape and contacted Phyllis Khan who then informed him about the incident at around 3AM on Sunday. He went on to report the robbery to the Police but nothing has been recovered and no one has been apprehended in connection with the case so far.
"We suspect that it could be an internal job although it is too early to tell because the Police are still carrying out investigations.
"I would like to urge the business community to increase their security because these robbers are still around and you can be a victim any time," added Greeff.
The money was insured. Masvingo Province has in the past three months witnessed a number of armed robbers with some leaving their victims for dead.
At Doczim Service Station along Industrial Road they got away with over $4000 in cash, at Spar Supermarket at the popular Stop Over Night spot the robbers shot a bullet through 17 year old David Dhuwa's abdomen and at Pangolin shopping centre in Mucheke they pumped three bullets in Gift Cephas' leg and one at the back and got away with $700. Cephas is still admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
In Zaka they robbed Mukumba Bus Service at gun point of $750 while at Ngundu Halt Business Centre they made away with $1300 and passengers' accessories from an A and A Bus Company.
Other robberies were reported in Chiredzi, Zvishavane, Gweru and Chivhu where cash was stolen and shootings witnessed.
These is the fourth armed robbery in Masvingo inside five weeks.
Craig Greeff who is the manager at the company confirmed the incident but declined to disclose the actual amount. He however, said they had to keep cash in the safe because they needed to pay farmers who cannot access money from the Banks.
"Two robbers were armed while four others were not. They wore masks and broke into our premises through the back fence and dismantled the CCTV then tied up the security guard with shoe strings and forcibly opened the front door. They blew up two safes using dynamite and took some few thousand dollars.
"We keep the money to pay our farmers. Because of the cash crisis we can't put the money in the bank since we won't be able to get it back in cash," said Greeff.
When contacted for comment Masvingo Province Assistant Police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said, "We encourage businesses to deposit their daily takings in order not to make it lucrative for robbers".
"We suspect that it could be an internal job although it is too early to tell because the Police are still carrying out investigations.
"I would like to urge the business community to increase their security because these robbers are still around and you can be a victim any time," added Greeff.
The money was insured. Masvingo Province has in the past three months witnessed a number of armed robbers with some leaving their victims for dead.
At Doczim Service Station along Industrial Road they got away with over $4000 in cash, at Spar Supermarket at the popular Stop Over Night spot the robbers shot a bullet through 17 year old David Dhuwa's abdomen and at Pangolin shopping centre in Mucheke they pumped three bullets in Gift Cephas' leg and one at the back and got away with $700. Cephas is still admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
In Zaka they robbed Mukumba Bus Service at gun point of $750 while at Ngundu Halt Business Centre they made away with $1300 and passengers' accessories from an A and A Bus Company.
Other robberies were reported in Chiredzi, Zvishavane, Gweru and Chivhu where cash was stolen and shootings witnessed.
Source - Byo24News/Masvingo Mirror
