2 armed robbers rearrested after Chivhu attack

TWO notorious armed robbers, who escaped from police custody in November and went on to terrorise citizens across the country, were rearrested by police in Chivhu last week following a robbery on January 16 in the small town.

Ashley Dube (21), Pardon Makuni (20) and Obert Mbengo, who is still at large, were serving a 10-year jail term at Hwahwa Prison when they escaped from ZRP Mzilikazi Station in Bulawayo, where they had been taken for questioning on other robbery and rape charges.

Police said the trio committed various violent crimes in Macheke and Marondera following their escape using machetes.

In Mutare, the trio pounced on a police officer, robbed him of his service AK-47 assault rifle before raping his two sisters.

Police said Dube dropped a cellphone that had a NetOne line during an armed robbery in Buckenhill, Chivhu.

The cellphone was used to track him and Makuni.

"While the robbery was in progress, there were two twins who were in a separate room of the same house who managed to sneak out of the house and jumped over the wall. They alerted their neighbours, who quickly phoned the police," a statement by the police read.

"On January 19, 2022, using contacts saved in the cellphone, the detectives managed to track Dube and ended up at his girlfriend Pamela Munjeri's residence at Number 4069, Unit D, Seke, Chitungwiza, who led them to Pickstone Mine in Chegutu where they arrested the two."

In the Buckenhill robbery, they got away with US$1 600 and ZAR36 400, and nothing was recovered.