POLICE in Bulawayo have linked armed robbers who raided a cash-in-transit vehicle transporting nearly 12kg of gold worth US$675 000 from How Mine to Fidelity Printers and Refiners to four other armed robbery cases in the city.
Thirteen suspects raided a Securico Security Company
cash-in-transit van which was transporting the gold from How Mine to Fidelity
Printers in the city earlier this month.
Police arrested three of the 13 and have connected some of
them to four similar forays that occurred in the city.
The gang has been fingered in heists at two financial
institutions, a fruit and vegetable wholesale and a grocery shop between May
and October. In total, the gangsters have stolen US$858 000 and R508 000 in
five raids within four months.
Cops have since released photos of nine of the armed
suspects in the How Mine attack who are on the run.
There is a US$5 000 bounty for anyone who may provide law
enforcement agents with details that will lead to the arrest of the suspects.
The suspects include brothers Xiba Nkosilathi Tonderai
Vumbunu, Abraham Vumbunu and Elijah Vumbunu.
Other suspects have been identified as Israel Zulu, David
Sanyatwe, Jimmy Gonyate, Vincent Ishmael Chabikwa, Abbysinia Shuma also known
as Dulini, Kelvin and Mike.
Police released photos of Elijah, Abraham, Chabikwa, Shuma,
Gonyane, Mike, Kelvin and Zulu.
Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector
Nomalanga Msebele said investigations associated some of the accused to armed
robberies that happened within the city.
“The suspects are also wanted for robbery which occurred at
Gain Cash and Carry wholesale situated at the corner of Jason Moyo and 6th
Avenue on 18 May 2022. They are also linked to a raid of Hamara supermarket
situated along Fife Street between 4th and 5th Avenue which occurred on 30 May
2022,” said Insp Msebele.
“They have also been linked to the robbery of Mukuru, a
money agency situated at the corner of 13th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street
which occurred on August 1. The suspects are also linked with the armed robbery
of CBZ Fife Street which happened on September 13.”
Two of the armed robbers struck at Hamara fruit and
vegetable supermarket and stole US$13 000 and R8 000.
On August 1, four gun-wielding robbers snatched US$100 000
and R500 000 after intercepting a cash-in-transit Safeguard vehicle outside a
Mukuru money transfer agent.
The security details were about to deliver money at a
Mukuru branch located along 13th Avenue, between Lobengula and Herbert Chitepo
Street when the robbery occurred. The robbers disarmed the Safeguard security
guards before looting the cash and escaping.
A month later, a team of five armed robbers pounced on CBZ
Bank’s Fife Street branch in Bulawayo and got away with US$70 000.
The suspects are said to have entered the banking hall
pretending to be clients before pouncing on the bank’s manager and getting away
with cash.
Details on the robbery of Gain Cash and Carry wholesale
were not available. When the robbers attacked a security team at How Mine, they
were travelling in three cars, a Toyota Hilux GD6, Nissan Hard body single-cab
and a Nissan March.
They ambushed and blocked the convoy of security officers
from Securico before disarming the guards and loading the gold into their
vehicles.
There was an exchange of gunfire after the How Mine chief
security officer observed the armed robbery resulting in the robbers abandoning
one of their cars.
Hardly 24 hours after the robbery, police arrested three
suspects Antony Moyo (39), Wilson Mutandwa (24) and Ernest Mutandwa (30).
However, the 10 others are still to be located amid
suspicions that they may have skipped the border.
Police said US$5000 is offered to members of the public who
may provide information that may lead to the arrest of the accused.
“Should you have any information contact Detective
Inspector Justin 0712915338, Detective Assistant Inspector Gadzai 0772226550,
CID Homicide Bulawayo (0292) 271568, National Complaints Desk (0242) 703631,
WhatsApp 0712800197 or any nearest police station,” read a police statement.
Herald
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