POLICE have busted an elaborate syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in more than 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and Chinhoyi.
Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes
such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.
The two officers at the centre of the scandal, William
Nhata (35) of 9631 Southview Park, Harare, who worked at the ZRP police
national arms’ depot in Harare and Constable Crive Kadambure who was based in
Chinhoyi have been arrested.
Kadambure (42) who was stationed at the Mashonaland West
Provincial Armoury in Chinhoyi was recently arrested for dealing in more than
40 high-calibre weapons.
Kadambure was arrested with his alleged accomplices Wonder
Tawanda Kwaramba (36), who is an ex-police officer and a civilian Edmore
Manuwere (28), with police saying the trio worked as an organised firearms
syndicate.
Police documents in possession of The Sunday Mail say:
“Detectives received information to the effect that there
was a criminal syndicate dealing in illegal firearms. The information was that
during the period from January 2019 to date, the above accused were working as
an organised criminal syndicate dealing in firearms. The accused persons would
then approach registered firearms dealers across the country where they
purchased forty-four high calibre rifles.
“The accused working as a syndicate went on to obtain fake
firearm certificates with fake serial numbers and references. Armed with those
fake certificates they would obtain the purchased firearms from the registered
dealers.
“Thereafter the accused sold to or traded the firearms with
poachers and armed robbers both inside and outside the country. Acting on the
information, the detectives managed to arrest the three accused persons in
Harare, Bulawayo and Chinhoyi. The team managed to obtain firearms registers
from registered dealers and established the accused person had made several
purchases.”
Kwaramba is also involved in another case, in which he is
accused of dealing in firearms with Taona Javangwe (43) of Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo.
Upon his arrest early this month, Javangwe, who is charged
with being in possession of two firearms illegally, implicated Kwaramba.
Nhata was arrested last week and appeared in court on
Wednesday, charged with fraud and contravention of the firearms act.
Police documents show that Nhata is suspected of having
illegally traded in firearms since October 2019.
The police records read: “On October 29, 2019, accused who
is a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police attached at ZRP National Armoury
was approached by the complainant Simon Mandicheta Nr 42-020505-L-34 of Plot 31
Wesly South Nyabira intending to buy a firearm for the purposes or crop and
livestock protection. The accused person then told the complainant that he was
selling a .22 FN rifle serial number 63861 for US$350 and was shown the rifle
which was at the National Armoury.
“The complainant paid the money for the rifle and the
accused was given a form FR 11 to process the firearm certificate so that he
would collect the rifle by the accused. On 8 October 2021, the complainant
approached the accused who was at his workplace intending to collect the
firearm since he had acquired the firearm certificate for the rifle. The
complainant then discovered that the accused did not have any rifle which he
was selling. On October 18, 2021, complainant reported the matter at Harare
Central leading to the arrest of the accused.”
Another suspect is Patrick Chirara (42) of 2240N Chiedza
road Karoi, who is facing eight counts of illegally dealing in firearms, which
had fake certificates.
Police records say Chirara sold the guns to armed robbers. Sunday
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