A Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officers who allegedly robbed a Chinese mine in Mazowe were arrested on Tuesday.
Tawanda Marumahoko (ZPCS) and Godfrey Chibanganye (ZNA) appeared before Bindura regional magistrate Amos Mbobo facing a robbery charge.
The duo pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody, according to Bulawayo24.
What happened:
Prosecutor Edward Katsvairo alleged that on November 12, 2022, the armed duo together with their 12 accomplices pounced on the Iron Cap mine to rob pregnant carbons.
In the gold industry, activated carbon is used to recover gold from the gold-cyanide complex also known as the cyanide process. It is a technique for extracting gold from low-grade ore by converting the gold to a water-soluble coordination complex.
The duo tied security guards with brickforce before robbing them of their phones.
They proceeded to the storeroom where they robbed 300 kilograms of pregnant carbons valued at US$2 142.
A police report was filed leading to the arrest of the duo.
There have been several reported robbery cases involving serving or retired members of the uniformed forces prompting Parliament to summon military chefs to explain the trend.
Some observers attribute the trend to the economic challenges in the country.