Six Armed Robbery Suspects Killed in Shoot-Out N...

Six Armed Robbery Suspects Killed in Shoot-Out Near Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Tollgate

Rutendo Mazhindu- Zim Now Reporter

The Zimbabwe Republic Police have confirmed a fatal shoot-out with six armed robbery suspects near the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls tollgate in the early hours of March 18, 2025.

According to a police statement, the suspects had spent the day trailing their target, the Young Money General’s Dealer Shop in Insuza. Later that night, they launched a violent attack, armed with pistols, knives, and axes. They reportedly tied the complainants' hands with electric cables, covered their faces with blankets, and demanded gold and cash.

After looting the shop, the gang fled in a silver Honda Fit (registration number AEY 4843), making off with cash, groceries, a lithium battery, an inverter, an amplifier, a nine-kilogram gas tank, and several cellphones.

One of the victims managed to contact their employer, who immediately alerted the police.

Detectives patrolling Victoria Falls Road soon spotted the suspects' vehicle heading towards the tollgate. When signaled to stop, the suspects opened fire, prompting officers to return fire. In an attempt to escape, the suspects rammed through the tollgate boom but were quickly subdued.

The injured suspects were transported to United Bulawayo Hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.

Police recovered an assortment of weapons at the scene, including two pistols with four live rounds, two gas-operated pistols, two knives, and an axe. The stolen goods — groceries, a lithium battery, an inverter, a gas tank, and an amplifier — were also retrieved.

In a statement, Police Commissioner Paul Nyathi reaffirmed the ZRP’s tough stance on armed robbery.

"The Zimbabwe Republic Police reiterates that there is no going back in the fight against armed robbery syndicates in the country. Any form of confrontation by criminals will be responded to through appropriate measures," he said.