TWO suspected thieves were arrested after police opened
fire and deflated one of the tyres of their getaway car during a dramatic
high-speed chase, as cases of unlawful entry and theft dominate the Bulawayo
crime scene during the lockdown.
Police said criminals were taking advantage of the lockdown
to raid deserted business premises and parked cars, with $50 000 worth of
property stolen on the first day of the lockdown.
Thieves are mainly targeting food in residential areas.
They are also capitalising on deserted streets to attack individuals roaming
the streets in violation of lockdown regulations.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said
six cases of unlawful entry and theft and arrests of several suspects,
including two men who led police on a high-speed chase after theft from motor
vehicles, have been recorded in the city.
The arrests were made between March 28 and April 18 and
stolen goods worth more than $100 000 were recovered.
“Between the period of March 28 and April 18, we received
six cases of unlawful entry into premises and theft and usually the criminals
will be targeting business premises like shops, hospitals and schools. We had a
case where the suspects went to Mpilo Central Hospital and stole eight doors,
four electronic breakers and several electrical sockets,” said Insp Ncube.
“Property that was stolen on the first day of the lockdown
on the March 30 is valued at $50 000. The suspects went to a butchery in the
central business district during first week of the lockdown and they broke into
the premises and stole beef, chicken cuts, sausage and soft drinks all valued
at $5 638.”
The suspects broke into Luveve High School and stole five
desks and four chairs valued at $6 000.
Insp Ncube said most of the cases of unlawful entry and
theft occurring in the western suburbs involve suspects who break into houses
and steal food stuffs.
“While we are conducting patrols, we are also urging owners
of premises to secure their premises by enlisting security guards. As ZRP
Bulawayo province, we have not received alarming cases of domestic violence and
we would like commend the local community. We also encourage people to stay at
home as part of lockdown regulations meant to protect lives,” he said.
Insp Ncube said they also recorded incidents of people who
were mugged while moving around in violation of lockdown regulations.
“It appears that these suspects know that there would be
few people on the streets. These criminals are taking advantage of the lockdown
to pounce on people who do not comply and are spotted walking in the streets
and pathways in the evenings or even during the day because there would be few
people moving around,” he said.
Gift Timothy Derera (21), Innocent Mutsipa (25) who are
both unemployed were arrested for stealing a cellphone worth $25 000 from a
car, which was parked in the central business district.
They appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Shepherd
Munjanja facing charges of theft from a motor vehicle and remanded to May 8.
The prosecutor, Ms Grace Zhou said on April 15 at around
11AM, the complainant parked his car, a Toyota Harrier at a parking lot at
corner Robert Mugabe Way and 9th Avenue. He secured the doors by locking them
before the two accused persons in the company of their three accomplices who
are still at large arrived at the scene in their car, a Honda Fit.
“The accused persons forced opened the front doors of the
complainant’s car and stole a G-Tel cellphone which was inside. After
committing the alleged offence, the drove away in their getaway car,” said Ms
Zhou.
Insp Ncube said the two accused persons were arrested after
a dramatic high-speed chase.
Police received a tip off that the accused persons were
spotted driving a blue Honda Fit, which has no number plates after breaking
into another vehicle in the central business district.
The police followed the car along Masotsha Ndlovu Avenue
into Old Victoria Falls road and spotted the accused parked near United College
of Education.
On seeing the police approaching, the accused persons got
suspicious and they jumped into their car and sped off, resulting in the
high-speed chase.
“One of the police officers opened fire and shot a left
front wheel of the accused persons’ car using a CZ pistol and it deflated. The
accused persons got out of their vehicle and tried to flee, but police caught
up with two accused persons and apprehended them,” said Insp Ncube.
Four of the suspects managed to escape and they are still
at large. The getaway car was impounded and it was loaded with groceries.
Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment