By-A prominent Masvingo bus operator, Mukumba Brothers, has been left counting the losses after a gang of five unidentified armed robbers pounced on the firm’s garage in the ancient city’s industrial area and made off with over US$11 000 and a substantial amount of South African rands.

The five suspects, who are still unknown, pounced on Mukumba Brothers’ garage around 1am on Tuesday and stole $11 394 and 13 450 rands after allegedly breaking into the cash office.

According to police the five suspects, who were armed with an as-yet-to-be-identified pistol and iron bars, first tied a security guard at the adjacent premise with shoelaces and put him in a vehicle boot before proceeding to Mukumba Brothers garage driving the vehicle in question.
Two of the suspects forced open the garage gate while three others scaled the precast wall and once inside they ordered security guards and everyone inside to surrender at gunpoint.
They allegedly took a Samsung cellphone from a Mukumba Brothers employee before they forcibly opened the door to the cash office.
Masvingo Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said after getting into the cash office they took US dollars and South African rands and fled as police from Masvingo Central who had been alerted of an ongoing armed robbery closed in.
“We managed to recover the vehicle where a security guard manning an adjacent premise had been dumped by the suspects after they tied him with shoelaces,” said Inspector Dhewa.
“A manhunt for the suspects is still underway and we believe the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them.” Herald