HARARE - A team of police investigators who used popular mobile chat platform WhatsApp to nab a rapist on the run have been named as the best cops for March.

Georgian Muchanja, Lydia Makonese and Noel Mupako from the Victim Friendly Unit in Harare’s Mbare suburb, utilised the new “cheap chat platform” to nab a man who had raped a 15-year-old four times without protection.

After seeing a man who fitted the description given by the victim, police officers took a photograph of the man, transmitted it through WhatsApp to the girl who positively identified him as the rapist.

Police documents state that the girl from Murewa was introduced to the rapist by a female stranger she met in the city centre who told her the man was looking for a maid in February.

“The accused person then raped the victim four times without protection. She was forced out of the room at around 0300 hours,” reads police documents.

“The victim then went back to her rural home where a report to the police was made before it was transferred to Mbare.”

Police in Mbare embarked on a crime-awareness campaign and during the exercise, one of the investigating officers saw a person fitting the description given by the girl.

“A photo of the suspect was taken and sent to the victim through WhatsApp,” police said. - Xolisani Ncube