Photo: Capital FM

Illegal firearms.

A foreign currency dealer allegedly gave away her colleagues to suspected robbers who posed as police officers before robbing them of US$11 000 and 50 000 Rand. Letwin Maliselo (31), who operates near Road Port, worked in cahoots with Marchael Hovhiyo Nyakwima (26) and four others who are still at large.

She would inform her accomplices whenever her colleagues had substantial amounts of money and they would trail their targets using unregistered vehicles before pouncing on them pretending to be police officers.

Maliselo and Nyakwima pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery when they appeared before regional magistrate Ms Esthere Chivasa.

They were remanded in custody to today for sentencing.

Prosecutor Mr Michael Reza told the court that on May 2 this year, around 8pm Maliselo informed her co-accused persons that Richard Muza had US$10 000 cash.

Acting in connivance, the gang used an unregistered BMW sedan and trailed Muza from town to Kuwadzana where he lives.

Muza disembarked from a kombi and suddenly the gang pounced on him and forced him into their getaway car.

They introduced themselves as police officers and advised Muza that he was under arrest for illegally dealing in drugs and that they were taking him to Southerton Police Station.

The court heard that Muza immediately sensed danger and took US$10 000 from his pocket, which he threw outside.

The accused persons stopped their vehicle and picked the money before taking turns to assault him.

They punched and kicked him. As they reached Warren Park D, one of the gang pushed Muza out of the moving vehicle and he fell to the ground.

He sustained serious injuries.

On May 10 around 9pm, Maliselo again informed her accomplices that Tariro Rukure of Cold Comfort had lots of cash.

Using the same method, the accused persons followed him from town to his house using an unregistered Toyota Corolla.

They grabbed him when he had alighted from the kombi and bundled him into their vehicle where they handcuffed him on the pretext they were taking him to the police station. On their way, they searched him and took 50 000R, US$1 000 and two mobile phones valued at US$200.

They shared the loot among themselves.

Rukure was later dumped in Glen View 8 and police investigations led to the arrest of Maliselo and Nyakwima.