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Judge Jarachara, Chronicle Reporter

A gang of six armed robbers raided a Bureau de Change in Bulawayo yesterday and made off with an undisclosed amount of money in foreign currency.

The robbery took place shortly after a cash-in-transit vehicle had left after delivering cash at around 8AM at Access Finance Bureau De Change situated at Parkade Centre at the corner of Fife Street and 9th Avenue. The armed robbers ordered everyone to lie down and went away with an undisclosed amount of forex.

National police spokesperson assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the robbery.

“Zimbabwe Republic Police is attending to an armed robbery at a Bureau de Change at corner 9th Avenue and Fife Street Bulawayo. Six armed robbers attacked a security guard and took away yet to be verified amount of money.

A Safeguard reaction team was also attacked with a gun and a company vehicle taken. The vehicle was later dumped in Malindela suburb, Bulawayo,” said Asst comm Nyathi.

The scene at Access Bereau de Change shortly after the armed robbery

Sources said the six-armed robbers who were travelling in a Honda Fit without number plates approached the bureau de change and three of them went inside while the other three remained in the car. A witness said the robbers pointed a firearm at the security guard manning the bureau de change and ordered him to lie down.

“Police really need to do something before this cancerous behaviour spreads”, said the source.

The latest incident follows last week’s robberies at two service stations in the city.

In the first incident, four men armed with a pistol pounced on Trek Garage in Gwabalanda and got away with more than US$15 000 and R800 after attacking the fuel attendant and security guard. In the second case, three men armed with pistols raided Amakhosi Service Station along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road at around 11PM.

The gang confronted two petrol attendants and a security guard and pointed a gun at them demanding cash. They then tied them with shoe laces before serving motorists and collecting cash for about three hours.

In November last year, six armed robbers also attacked two security guards delivering Zupco’s weekend cash collections to CBZ Eighth Avenue Branch in Bulawayo and got away with over $2,1 million, US$3 362 and R7 390.

Only $11 305 was recovered at a disused house at a plot in the Douglasdale area in Bulawayo where the getaway car, a Nissan Hardbody and trunks used by the security company to carry cash were recovered. The robbers according to police, offered the $11 000 to a Bulawayo resident as they disposed of the trunks but the man refused the money. The robbers intercepted the Fawcett Security cash-in-transit van as it was about to deliver the cash at the bank.

They attacked the Fawcett driver, took away the firearm that was on the dashboard and then turned to the other officer who was guarding the trucks with cash and attacked him before driving off in the armoured van that had the cash. – @jdgjarachara.