Three men suspected to be con artists who were impersonating police officers were arrested by police detectives on Saturday in Mutare Central Business District.
The Manica Post reported eyewitnesses as saying police detectives swooped on the trio after having monitored their movements and trekked them.
The bogus cops were reportedly yanked out of their vehicle in a car park near Mukuru money transfer’s city branch and put in their handcuffs before being taken away.
The suspects were allegedly notorious for extorting illegal forex dealers, vendors outside supermarkets and unsuspecting members of the public.
An illegal forex dealer who declined to be named told The Manica Post that people thought the suspects were bona fide cops. Said the dealer:
All this while I thought these men were genuine cops. They used to come here frequently and would demand money from forex dealers who mill around this place.
I have easily recognised one of them because he was once nearly manhandled outside a supermarket near the main bus terminus at Mudzviti.
The police detectives must be commended for doing a good job because these men were terrorising and duping people in the city.
According to lawportalzim.co.zw, the penalty for impersonating a police officer in Zimbabwe varies depending on the circumstances of the case. In one case, the accused was cautioned and discharged. In another case, the trial court ruled that no other form of punishment other than a term of imprisonment was appropriate in the circumstances.
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