By Lesley K Mpofu| Last Friday at Wilmode Farm in Mvurwi, 20 armed robbers attacked 8 security guards with a pistol, machetes, okapi knives, and iron bars before stealing 63 tobacco bales.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, a spokesman for the national police, claimed that the gang graded shades and took 63 bales after first tying the guards up with ropes. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the local police station.

Tobacco growers have been robbed at gunpoint as they shift their bales at night by criminals, some of whom are disguising themselves as police officers.

Additionally, robbers have started targeting farmers at auction floors, particularly in Harare.

Farmers have been warned to be on the lookout for offenders who prey on increased foot and vehicle traffic at auction floors during the selling season.

Additionally, there has been a slight rise in occurrences of fraud including card cloning, mobile cash transactions, forgeries, car theft, and pickpocketing.

Farmers are also encouraged to protect their product and sales revenues by not entertaining outsiders.

Farmers have been robbed of their crop while it was being transported to the auction floors, costing them thousands of dollars in tobacco over the last few years.

While some farmers are being targeted by fake security personnel, other farmers are being stopped by thieves who steal their hard-earned money, commodities, and treasures.

Farmers have also been urged not to use unsafe vehicles because some of them have been robbed after having technical problems.

Police in Harare detained one of the thieves last week and found 15 tobacco bales.