Two of the five armed robbers killed in a shoot-out with
police along Glenara Avenue in Harare yesterday were South Africans, while the
other three who were captured alive were Zimbabweans; but the gang leader and
most wanted suspect, the notorious Musa Taj Abdul (alias Musa Mahommed),
managed to escape.
Abdul, who is believed to be the chief architect of a spate
of robberies committed in Zimbabwe between August last year and this month, has
been on the police wanted list since 1999.
He was initially reported to be among the five dead
robbers, but it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.
“Musa Taj Abdul alias Musa Mahommed is not among the
arrested or shot gang members. He is still on the police wanted list,’’ said
national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi in a statement.
The three dead Zimbabweans have been identified as Dennis
Stanley Dube alias Dingola (29), Taurai Chitepo (36) and the other one only
identified as Johnson.
Three survivors of the shoot-out — Godfrey Mupamhanga (27),
Prince Zakeo (25) and Maxwell Stanley alias Dennis Mateta (25) — were arrested
on nine counts of armed robbery and are expected to appear in court today.
Police believe the gang was based in South Africa, just
coming north to conduct its Zimbabwean raids.
The South African pair is yet to be identified and the
Zimbabwe Republic Police has since asked Interpol to help establish their
identities.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said investigations were
linking the gang to the nine robberies.
“The police have successfully linked the gang to the nine
cases of armed robbery. Some of these include the armed robbery which occurred
on December 20 last year at Wessel Shop in Msasa, Harare, where they disarmed a
security guard and stole a special Amadeo Rossi revolver, $160 000 and an Isuzu
KB240 single cab vehicle.
“On February 5 this year, the gang went to Makoni Shopping
Centre, Chitungwiza, armed with pistols, an AK47 rifle and robbed unsuspecting
complaints of US$19 000, $30 000, cellphones and a Toyota Allion vehicle, which
was later found abandoned in Glen View,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
He said on February 26, the gang robbed another person in
Harare of US$40 000, jewellery, several pairs of shoes, a laptop, cellphones, a
star pistol and Hyundai vehicle. The gang proceeded to the victim’s workplace
and robbed him of US$227 250 and R28 000 but police have so far recovered US$10
000.
At the scene of the shoot-out on Thursday, police recovered
a 9mm CZ pistol, a Star pistol, Bruno pistol, .38 special Amadeo Rossi
revolver, FN Browning pistol, 20x9mm rounds of ammunition and 4×7.65mm live
rounds. Herald
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