Eight robbers attacked the Voedsel Tobacco International Auction Floors in Rusape last Sunday night. They overpowered two security guards before stealing numerous tobacco bales worth thousands of dollars. The guards, Weston Jumbe and Daniel Sadondo, were tied up with shoelaces and covered with plastic sheeting during the heist. Robbers loaded the stolen tobacco into their vehicle and escaped. Police confirmed the incident and said no arrests have been made.
The robbery happened on April 20 when the guards were patrolling the premises. Three people with machetes grabbed Jumbe, tied his hands and legs, and took his phone. Five others attacked Sadondo, hit him with a machete, tied him up, and stuffed cloth in his mouth when he screamed for help. They took the warehouse keys from the guards and forced them inside. One robber guarded them as others loaded tobacco bales into their vehicle.
The crime comes amid a wave of similar incidents since the tobacco marketing season began in March. Criminals target farmers from tobacco-growing areas such as Headlands, Nyazura, Nyamajura, Odzi, Wedza, and Macheke. Police recently warned the public about increasing robbery cases. Previous attacks hit Rusape Town Council, a Total Service Station, and Chiwetu Primary School.
Another recent incident involved five armed robbers who stole 41 tobacco bales worth about $17,010 from a delivery truck on April 7. They blocked the Rusape-Ruura Road with stones and logs at 2 am. The driver, Blessing Mutyakureva, lost two front teeth and suffered a deep cut under his eye during the assault. Tobacco Farmers Union president Victor Mariranyika urged farmers to protect their crops and earnings.
The robbery happened on April 20 when the guards were patrolling the premises. Three people with machetes grabbed Jumbe, tied his hands and legs, and took his phone. Five others attacked Sadondo, hit him with a machete, tied him up, and stuffed cloth in his mouth when he screamed for help. They took the warehouse keys from the guards and forced them inside. One robber guarded them as others loaded tobacco bales into their vehicle.
The crime comes amid a wave of similar incidents since the tobacco marketing season began in March. Criminals target farmers from tobacco-growing areas such as Headlands, Nyazura, Nyamajura, Odzi, Wedza, and Macheke. Police recently warned the public about increasing robbery cases. Previous attacks hit Rusape Town Council, a Total Service Station, and Chiwetu Primary School.
Another recent incident involved five armed robbers who stole 41 tobacco bales worth about $17,010 from a delivery truck on April 7. They blocked the Rusape-Ruura Road with stones and logs at 2 am. The driver, Blessing Mutyakureva, lost two front teeth and suffered a deep cut under his eye during the assault. Tobacco Farmers Union president Victor Mariranyika urged farmers to protect their crops and earnings.
