A gang of 12 armed robbers raided a service station in Kwekwe on Monday and stole almost US$600 000 and R58 430.
The robbers, who were armed with a pistol and an AK47 assault rifle, attacked two security guards manning the premises before tying their hands and legs with shoe laces.
They then stole a Dewalt drilling machine, US$582 540 and R58 430 cash found in a table drawer and a Chubb safe.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the gang attacked the service station along Parson Road in Kwekwe at around 1am.
Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspects.
Armed robberies have been on the increase countrywide, with criminals targeting individuals, businesspeople and service stations with large amounts of cash on the premises.
Some of the cases have been linked to inside jobs.
Recently, police in Bulawayo linked armed robbers who raided a cash-in-transit vehicle transporting nearly 12kg of gold worth US$675 000 from How Mine to Fidelity Printers and Refiners to four other armed robberies in the city.
Thirteen suspects raided a Securico Security Company cash-in-transit van which was transporting the gold from How Mine to Fidelity Printers in the city earlier last month.
Police arrested three of the 13 and have connected some of them to four similar forays that occurred in the city.
The gang has been fingered in heists at two financial institutions, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler and a grocery shop between May and October. In total, the gangsters have stolen US$858 000 and R508 000 in five raids within four months.
Cops have since released photos of nine of the armed suspects in the How Mine attack who are on the run.
There is a US$5 000 bounty for anyone who may provide law enforcement agents with details that will lead to the arrest of the suspects.
The suspects include brothers Xiba Nkosilathi Tonderai Vumbunu, Abraham Vumbunu and Elijah Vumbunu plus Israel Zulu, David Sanyatwe, Jimmy Gonyate, Vincent Ishmael Chabikwa, Abbysinia Shuma, also known as Dulini, Kelvin and Mike.
Police released photos of Elijah and Abraham Vumbunu, Chabikwa, Shuma, Gonyate, Mike, Kelvin and Zulu. – The Herald
