Police nab suspect in US$99k ZX Fuels armed robber...

Police nab suspect in US$99k ZX Fuels armed robbery

Zim Now Writer

Police have arrested David Majagada, 47, an armed robbery on the police wanted list, who is believed to be part of the eight-man gang that recently raided ZX Fuels premises in New Ardbennie, Harare, where one of his accomplices was killed during a shootout with security guards.

During the robbery, the gang got away with US$99 000 and police managed to recover US$35 050 from a satchel the dead man was carrying along with a pistol and implements used to commit criminal activities.

Majagada was arrested on Monday in Mutare by detectives following a tip-off.

He is still assisting police with investigations.

Investigations revealed that the gang members, who were wearing masks and woollen hats, went to the premises while armed with pistols, iron bars and hammers before attacking a security guard on duty.

They took the gate keys from the security guard and entered the premises before unlocking offices where they used iron bars to force open safes. During the process, a reaction team from Safeguard Security Company arrived at the scene and was attacked by the robbers.

A second reaction team went to the scene, resulting in a shootout between the guards and the robbers, resulting in one of the robbers being hit and dying on the spot, while his other accomplices fled the scene. Two security guards were hospitalised after they were injured during the attack.

Police recently managed to identify one of the suspects, Majagada, who fled from the scene.

Police are looking for the other six suspects, who are still on the run.

Initial investigations revealed that on April 10 at around 1am, a security guard was manning ZX Fuels premises when he decided to conduct some perimeter checks.

On his way out of the guard room, he was suddenly grabbed by two robbers who were armed with a pistol and iron bar and were wearing woollen hats and face masks. They used shoelaces to tie the security guard’s hands and his cellphone charger cable to tie his legs before forcing him to lie down on his stomach.

Police said six more robbers who were armed with hammers, a bolt cutter and iron bars appeared and they searched the security guard before taking keys to the gate.

The robbers later switched off electricity at the premises before one of them was left guarding the security guard while the others went to the offices. They force-opened the doors of the offices using iron bars, activating the alarm in the process, which alerted the control room.

It is alleged that the robbers went to the cash office where they forced open a safe and retrieved safe keys which they used to open the Chubb safe and stole cash. They further went into another office and tried to open another Chubb safe but failed to open it before attempting to move it outside.

A Safeguard Security reaction team came and one of the crew members was apprehended by the robbers while the other one managed to escape.

One of the robbers drove the NP 200 Nissan vehicle belonging to the Safeguard Security Company reaction team and parked it inside the premises.

The security guard who had escaped managed to contact his superiors and a second reaction team was deployed to the scene this time armed with pistols and a shoot-out ensued with the robbers.