Four Armed Robbery Gang Suspects, Including South Africans, Killed in Norton Shootout with CID Detectives.

Four Armed Robbery Gang Suspects, Including South Africans, Killed in Norton Shootout with CID Detectives.

By Delicious Mathuthu

Harare,p Zimbabwe - A deadly exchange of gunfire between Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Detectives and a gang of armed robbery suspects in Norton on October 3, 2025, left four suspects dead and two officers seriously injured, Zimbabwean authorities confirmed.

The confrontation, which unfolded near the Norton Tollgate along the Harare-Bulawayo Road, is part of an escalation in the ZRP’s ongoing crackdown on violent crime syndicates.

ZRP National Police Spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who is the Chief Staff Officer for Press and Public Relations to the Commissioner-General of Police, detailed the incident in a press statement issued on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms a serious shooting incident and exchange of fire by CID Homicide detectives and armed robbery suspects in Norton on 03rd October 2025,” Nyathi said.

“Four suspects have died while two detectives sustained serious injuries and are currently admitted at a local hospital,” he said.

Commissioner Nyathi said the suspects were part of a motorized criminal syndicate that had crossed into Zimbabwe from South Africa, targeting businesses and individuals in Bulawayo, Harare, and Kwekwe.

The group is linked to at least five robbery cases between June 25 and October 3, 2025, including a high-profile heist at a Harare hospital on September 30, where US$1,833 in cash and airtime recharge cards worth US$140 were stolen.

Another notable incident occurred in Njube, Bulawayo, on June 25, where the gang allegedly stole US$8,000 and an iPhone.

The ZRP’s CID Homicide Unit had been tracking the syndicate based on intelligence reports.

On October 3, as detectives closed in on the suspects near Norton Tollgate, the situation turned volatile, Commissioner Nyathi said.

“As the detectives were following, the suspects fired at them, resulting in a serious exchange of fire,” he said.

The ensuing shootout left four suspects dead, including two identified as foreign nationals.

Following the confrontation, police recovered critical evidence from the scene, including the suspects’ getaway vehicle, a Toyota Axio and two firearms, a Girsan 9mm Parabellum pistol with a magazine containing two rounds and another 9mm Parabellum pistol with a single round.

Additional items included a pair of Relay grey army green shoes and a black navy blue jacket inscribed with “Grey Wolf.”

Nyathi confirmed that one of the suspects was captured on CCTV wearing these items during the Harare hospital robbery, providing a direct link to the crime.

The injured detectives, whose identities have not been disclosed, are receiving treatment at a local hospital, Commissioner Nyathi said.

Commissioner Nyathi warned that the ZRP’s unwavering commitment to combating armed robbery is warranted.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police reiterates that there is no going back in the fight against armed robbery cases in the country.

“All syndicates, whether locally or foreign-based, will be decisively dealt with, in line with the country’s laws," he said.