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Diamond dealers nabbed at tollgate

by Staff Reporter
22 Jan 2016 at 06:51hrs | Views
WELL known Mutare diamond dealers, Never Chikwenha and Abbas Macky, who were arrested last week at Ruwa tollgate, after being found in possession of 38 carats of diamond with a black market value of more than $140 000 on their way to Harare, where they allegedly wanted to sell them, have been released on bail.

They appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Courts before Mr Elijah Makomo facing charges of illegally possessing precious stones and are out on bail.

Chikwenha was represented by Mr Dumisani Mtombeni, while Macky was represented by Mr Tafadzwa Hungwe. They were asked not to plead. Allegations were that on January 11 at around 12pm detectives from the Vehicle Theft Squad received a tip-off that the suspects were in possession of the diamonds.

They were also told that they were travelling from Mutare to the capital to trade the gems.

Consequently, the detectives went to Ruwa tollgate and intercepted the two who were travelling in a Toyota Mark 11, Registration Number ADW 2227 with Chikwenha behind the steering wheel. A search was conducted in the car, resulting in the discovery of the diamonds which were stashed in the driver's seat.

Detectives privy to the case said they took more than an hour to thoroughly search the vehicle and located the gems. The recovered 14 pieces were sent to the Mines and Minerals Corporation of Zimbabwe for weighing, where it was discovered that they were genuine stones weighing 38,36 carats.

Sources involved in the illegal trade revealed this week that the arrest of the two is a result of an underground war between illegal dealers in Mutare who are elbowing each other from the trade.

"This case (arrest of the two) was a clear setup as these people were tracked all the way from Mutare to Ruwa, where they were rounded up. The detectives made sure that the vehicle be stopped at the tollgate with nowhere to run. A total of five detectives swooped on the car in an instant and searched it," said the source.

Source - Manicapost