A Rusape man who had formed a house-breaking syndicate with his two wives was finally arrested last week after stealing valuables worth over $500 000.
Bright Makwindi (33) of Vengere was nabbed together with his wives — Memory Mandindo (29) and Luisa Chikono (29) — after breaking into several houses and getting away with electrical gadgets, food, and other valuables.
The total value of the property recovered was $502 517. Some of the goods were in their possession, while some were recovered from buyers.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda, said by Wednesday, the suspects had managed to clear 11 cases of unlawful entry. He said:
During the period extending from March 2021 to date, there was an increase in unlawful entry cases in Rusape and detectives launched patrols in residential areas
On April 15, detectives who were on surveillance in Mabvazuwa saw Makwindi enquiring from a child about the whereabouts of the occupants of a certain house.
Detectives confronted him and searched his satchel. They recovered housebreaking equipment.
They escorted him to his place of residence, but he managed to escape along the way since he was not handcuffed. He hid in a sewage drain but was later arrested at Mandindo’s house.
Searches led to the recovery of several items which Mandindo failed to account for.
Insp Chananda said when Makwindi and Mandindo were taken for interrogation, they implicated Chikono.
He said the trio had a well-polished modus operandi. Makwindi would always send his wives to the targeted houses on the pretext of looking for water.
If no one was present, they would call their husband to come and break into the house.