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Crime Reporter
TWO men have been arrested and jailed for making a false report to the police that they had been robbed US$5 200 cash and several cellphones
Richard Jahwi (20) of Zengeza 3, Chitungwiza and Osten Makwinga (24) of Goodhope, Westgate in Harare have since been convicted for orchestrating a fake robbery that resulted in property damage.
In a statement, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) spokesperson Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri confirmed the arrests.
“On January 21, 2025, the duo received 586 cases of peanut butter for sale from their employer. Acting in connivance, they stage-managed a robbery case on January 25, 2025, and later filed a police report claiming that they were robbed and lost US$5 200 (profits from the sale of the peanut butter) and cellphones in the process.
“Alert police officers noted some inconsistencies in the duo’s statements, prompting them to conduct an interrogation that unearthed the stage-managed robbery. Further investigations revealed that the duo had even smashed the vehicle windows to make the robbery appear more authentic and had already used part of the stolen money,” she said.
The duo’s arrest led to the recovery of US$3 200, cellphones and a speaker hidden in a bush along the Gutu-Chivhu Road.
They have since been charged with deliberately supplying false Information to à public authority, theft and malicious damage to property.