A police constable, Dingumuzi Ncube, (35 has been arrested while a manhunt for a senior officer has been launched in connection with the case in which gold worth nearly $1 million vanished from an armoury at Plumtree Police Station in Matabeleland South Province, as investigations intensify.
The gold, weighing 28,5kg worth over $970 000, was being kept as an exhibit at the station since September 2015. The yellow metal was being kept at the police station after Border Control and Minerals Unit intercepted it at Plumtree Border Post from a man who sought to smuggle it into Botswana.
The unknown suspect tore khaki paper in which the gold was wrapped and stole all of it, leaving the papers in a bucket in the armoury.
National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest. She said another police officer suspected to be involved in the theft was on the run.
“I can confirm that a police officer has been arrested in connection with the theft of 28,5kg of gold at Plumtree Police Station. The suspect is assisting police with investigations and unfortunately at the moment I can’t give more information as this will jeopardise investigations,” she said.
Ncube according to sources had allegedly bought three brand new vehicles, a Quantum , a Toyota Wish and a Toyota Regius.
The sources said police have since recovered $37 000 and 3kg of gold following Ncube’s arrest.
The theft of the gold was discovered on Wednesday at around 11AM by officers who were on duty.
Sources at the police station said the theft came to light as police officers were searching for two missing rifles that had been booked in the charge office.
When an officer went to check at the armoury for the missing rifles, he was surprised to find the armoury door not locked.
The sources said when the officer was about to open the armoury, he observed that there was a key inserted in the key hole of the door.
“One of the officers who had knowledge about the gold kept in the armoury as an exhibit proceeded to the bucket where the gold weighing 28,5kg was kept wrapped in a khaki paper and discovered that the gold was missing.
The gold was seized from a suspect identified as Pudohope James Rove who had hidden it in a secret compartment in his vehicle’s loading box.
The suspect was driving a Toyota Hilux and was on his way to Botswana when he was intercepted at the exit gate after completing all immigration and Zimra formalities.
Detectives who were on duty stopped the vehicle and conducted a search. They discovered
a false compartment in the loading box and upon carrying further searches, discovered 76 pieces of smelted gold which weighed 28,5kg. Chronicle
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