Suspected former Indian army Special Forces who have been operating in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique have reportedly settled in Zimbabwe after posing as “investors” in different sectors of the economy.
Cabo Delgado is in northern Mozambique where that country’s military is battling Islamist insurgents.
According to NewsDay, the Office of the President and the country’s immigration department have since launched a crackdown on the Indian military unit resulting in the deportation of hundreds of Indians who had entered the country without proper documents.
The special adviser to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Jorum Gumbo, confirmed to NewsDay that he facilitated a meeting between the Indians and the President. He said:
Yes, the Indians saw the President. My role was just to facilitate, I act as a secretary to the President.
These guys said they wanted to invest in a brewery, whatever they did after that I wouldn’t know.
One of the ex-army men, Sudhu Sarup Singh, was reportedly given a temporary permit in July last year.
On the permit, Singh was recorded as an employee at NV Mining in Zimbabwe.
Indian embassy attaché consular Rajin Kapoo refused to comment on the matter saying the ambassador was in India.
The Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) has reportedly seized two top-of-the-range vehicles the former Indian soldiers were using.
The vehicles are a white Toyota Fortuner GD-6 (AGA 2524) and a grey Ford Ranger (AGE 2419) with “Indian Army, Special Forces” pasted on their backs.
The Toyota Fortuner GD-6 has “We Dare The Impossible” inscribed on the top of its back panel, while the Ford Ranger has a sticker written “We Are The Fearless”.
NewsDay reported CIO sources as saying the country’s intelligence unit was investigating how the vehicles were brought into the country.
When they came to Zimbabwe, the former Indian soldiers reportedly approached the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) seeking approval to set up an ethanol plant.
A source who reportedly shared details and supporting documents of the Indians’ enterprise said:
These individuals made their way into the country after their efforts at ending unrest in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, failed.
They got approval, but soon after proceeded to start seeking financial assistance from the government to set it up, to which (RBZ governor John) Mangudya said no.
They are now into gold mining, are looking at lithium and go around in branded vehicles which indicates that they are, indeed, members of the Indian Army’s Special Forces.
Even the CIO is investigating these guys as there seems to be no link between them and any other Zimbabwean authority besides (the named former minister).
Their operation here makes it seem like Zimbabwe has become a Wild-Wild West, where all rogue characters can still come, do what they want, make a living and leave.
The unit has also been accused of illegally supplying India-manufactured sex-enhancing drugs to vendors across the country.
More: Pindula News