The attackers are thought to use the semen in their witchcraft 'juju' rituals

Similar sexual attacks have occurred in the country for several years now

Police say the three women raped a hitchhiker and made off with his semen

Police fear a trio of female 'sperm collectors' are on the loose in Zimbabwe after they picked up a hitchhiker on a highway and raped him in order to 'harvest' his sperm.

The women, believed to be driving a white Toyota Cresta, offered him a lift along a main road in the city of Bulawayo, in the country's southwest.

But partway through the journey the women attacked him - forcing him to have sex with them and making off with his semen.

Bulawayo (pictured) has grappled with illegal 'sperm collectors' before. Around 2010 and 2011 there were dozens of incidents of such assaults believed to be fueled by demand for semen in rituals

Bulawayo police spokesperson Precious Simango told The Chronicle they picked up the man at an illegal hiking point on 6th Avenue in the city.

'Their victim was travelling to Cowdray Park and while on the way they changed the route prompting him to inquire where they were taking him. They told him they were taking a short cut.'

They are alleged to have then parked in a semi-rural area where they took turns to sexually assault him.

'One of the women used a condom while the others had sex with him without protection. They then took away his semen before dumping him.'

The inspector did not explain why they were harvesting semen, but the case bears strong similarities to a spate of attacks across the country in 2011 and 2012.

These attacks were fueled by a demand for men's semen in traditional luck-enhancing 'juju' rituals.

According to reports, victims of the freeway femme fatales are drugged or subdued at gun or knife-point - one man was even forced to perform at 'snake-point' when his rapists brandished a live snake.

The male victims are then given a sexual stimulant and forced to have sex repeatedly before being dumped on the side of the road.

In November 2011, three sisters and one of their boyfriends were charged in a Harare court for attacking male hitchhikers and harvesting their semen for rituals.