The Zimbabwe Republic Police has arrested five suspects in connection with multiple armed robbery cases involving over US$210,000. In a statement seen by Pindula News, police national spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nayathi said the robberies took place in Bulawayo and Victoria Falls between May and December 2023.
He said the suspects targeted businesses and homes where large sums of money were kept. The arrests have cleared 11 robbery cases. Read the statement:
ARREST OF FIVE ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECTS IN BULAWAYO
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Silence Kwangwa (26), Ayanda Ncube (32), Julias Mugwagwa (28), Douglas Rizani (32) and Edzayi Madondo (38) in connection with a spate of armed robbery cases which occurred in and around Bulawayo and Victoria Falls between May and December 2023, where the suspects would target business and residential premises for families and business people who keep large sums of money at home.
On 22nd December 2023, police acted on received information leading to the arrest of the five suspects, whom upon being interviewed, implicated their accomplices, Wellington Ndoro (26) and Felias Mvula (54), who are already in custody on remand after they were arrested in Victoria Falls for another robbery case which occurred on 14th December 2023.
The arrest has so far cleared 11 robbery cases. Some of the cases include a robbery case in which the suspects attacked a milling company in Bulawayo on 23rd September 2023 and went away with a chub safe containing US$ 40 000-00 and another robbery case that occurred on 2nd November 2023, in which they allegedly attacked some security guards on duty at a company premise in Belmont Bulawayo before breaking into offices where they stole US$19 204-00 cash, 2.2 kilogrammes of gold, two laptops, CCTV DVR, various cellphones and other valuables, all worth US$154 304-00.
Investigations by the police led to the recovery of a blue Honda Fit vehicle registration number AEQ 3032, a 9mm CZ Pistol with erased serial numbers, Cash safe, CCTV DVR, Asus Laptop, HP 255 laptop, MAC Book, Huawei 8i cellphone, Samsung Tablet SMT560, Infinite Smart 6 cellphone, two Huawei cellphones, three Itel Smartphones, Samsung A34 cellphone, KG Tel cellphone, an Iphone, Samsung 20 Smartphone, 2000 Pakistan Rupees from Silence Kangwa’s residence in Trenance, Bulawayo.
In another case, the Police have arrested Willium Dhumukwa (34), James Zawi (29) and Chishamiso Muganiri (30) who were part of a 15 member gang which pounced on a Mine in Kadoma and went away with a Toyota Hilux vehicle, three cellphones 17 bags of carbon among other valuables on 17th December 2023. The suspects who were armed with two pistols and two 303 rifles escaped after having been involved in a shoot-out with the police at the mine and they dropped the two 303 rifles at the scene.
Detectives acted on received information and tracked the suspects to Mbare where the suspects were arrested after a shoot-out with Willium Dhumukwa being shot on the thigh. Further investigations revealed that the recovered 303 rifles were reported stolen in Harare through a robbery on 8th December 2023.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police applauds members of the public for supplying useful information to the police and reiterates that there is no going back in the fight against armed robbery syndicates which involve both local and foreign suspects.