News / Local
Police arrest 7 notorious robbery suspects
25 Dec 2023 at 04:32hrs | Views
SEVEN robbery suspects, one of them a police officer, have been arrested for a spate of armed cases they committed between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls over eight months.
Two of the suspects Wellington Ndoro (36) attached to the Criminal Investigations Department at ZRP Nkulumane and Felias Mvula (54) of Mzilikazi in Bulawayo, have since appeared in court facing attempted robbery charges.
They were remanded in custody until 29 December.
Last Thursday, police reacted to an emergency call from a resident after he spotted five suspects scaling a precast wall before they attempted to force open his window at around 10pm.
In some houses, the suspected robbers attacked occupants and even poisoned and killed pets.
Prosecuting, Ms Josephine Gurazhira said the accused were arrested after a high-speed chase with police.
"On December 14, 2023 at around 10pm, the accused and four others, acting in common purpose, drove to a house located along Courtney Selous Road in Victoria Falls," she said.
"Upon arrival, they tried to force open the complainant's sitting room window. Upon seeing the police reaction team, they fled from the scene and got into their getaway car, a Toyota Corolla with South African number plates and sped off."
Ndoro was driving the vehicle, while Mvula and the other gang members travelled by bus and regrouped in the resort city.
They allegedly proceeded to a house in the low-density suburb where they scaled the precast wall. Alert occupants heard the noise and alerted the neighbourhood watch and police patrol teams who reacted swiftly and busted the gang before it entered the house.
The suspects fled from the scene and scaled the wall again before running in different directions. Ndoro, who had remained in the getaway car, drove off at high speed with one other accomplice with police hot in pursuit.
Seeing that the police were closing in on them, the suspects stopped the car and fled on foot in different directions.
Ndoro was later arrested while hiding in a yard while Mvula was arrested while hiding in a storm drain.
Upon arrest, it was established that Ndoro was a member of the police in the CID department in Nkulumane who was recently transferred from Gwanda. Police also recovered stolen cellphones and cable tiers.
The other suspects Silence Kwangwa (26), Ayanda Ncube (32), Julias Mugwagwa (28), Douglas Rizani (32) and Edzayi Madondo (38) were arrested on Friday and are set to appear in court for attempted and armed robbery charges.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed the development, saying five of the suspects were arrested following a tip-off from members of the public.
"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 14 December 2023," he said.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the latest arrest has so far cleared 11-armed robbery cases across the country from the mentioned period.
He said in one of the cases the suspects attacked a milling company in Bulawayo in September and got away with a safe containing US$40 000.
In another case that occurred in November 2023, the suspects allegedly attacked security guards at a company premises in Belmont before breaking into offices where they stole US$19 204 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, 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," said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said police in Harare have also managed to track and arrest three suspects who got away with loot after an intense shoot-out with police.
Asst Comm Nyathi said Willium Dhumukwa (34), James Zawi (29) and Chishamiso Muganiri (30) are part of a 15-member gang that pounced at a mine in Kadoma and allegedly stole a Toyota Hilux, three cellphones and 17 bags of carbon among other valuables on December 17.
"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," said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said detectives acted on received information and tracked the suspects to Mbare where the suspects were arrested after a shoot-out with Dhumukwa who was shot and wounded in the thigh.
"Further investigations revealed that the recovered 303 rifles were reported stolen in Harare through a robbery on 8 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," Asst Comm Nyathi said.
Two of the suspects Wellington Ndoro (36) attached to the Criminal Investigations Department at ZRP Nkulumane and Felias Mvula (54) of Mzilikazi in Bulawayo, have since appeared in court facing attempted robbery charges.
They were remanded in custody until 29 December.
Last Thursday, police reacted to an emergency call from a resident after he spotted five suspects scaling a precast wall before they attempted to force open his window at around 10pm.
In some houses, the suspected robbers attacked occupants and even poisoned and killed pets.
Prosecuting, Ms Josephine Gurazhira said the accused were arrested after a high-speed chase with police.
"On December 14, 2023 at around 10pm, the accused and four others, acting in common purpose, drove to a house located along Courtney Selous Road in Victoria Falls," she said.
"Upon arrival, they tried to force open the complainant's sitting room window. Upon seeing the police reaction team, they fled from the scene and got into their getaway car, a Toyota Corolla with South African number plates and sped off."
Ndoro was driving the vehicle, while Mvula and the other gang members travelled by bus and regrouped in the resort city.
They allegedly proceeded to a house in the low-density suburb where they scaled the precast wall. Alert occupants heard the noise and alerted the neighbourhood watch and police patrol teams who reacted swiftly and busted the gang before it entered the house.
The suspects fled from the scene and scaled the wall again before running in different directions. Ndoro, who had remained in the getaway car, drove off at high speed with one other accomplice with police hot in pursuit.
Seeing that the police were closing in on them, the suspects stopped the car and fled on foot in different directions.
Ndoro was later arrested while hiding in a yard while Mvula was arrested while hiding in a storm drain.
The other suspects Silence Kwangwa (26), Ayanda Ncube (32), Julias Mugwagwa (28), Douglas Rizani (32) and Edzayi Madondo (38) were arrested on Friday and are set to appear in court for attempted and armed robbery charges.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed the development, saying five of the suspects were arrested following a tip-off from members of the public.
"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 14 December 2023," he said.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the latest arrest has so far cleared 11-armed robbery cases across the country from the mentioned period.
He said in one of the cases the suspects attacked a milling company in Bulawayo in September and got away with a safe containing US$40 000.
In another case that occurred in November 2023, the suspects allegedly attacked security guards at a company premises in Belmont before breaking into offices where they stole US$19 204 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, 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," said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said police in Harare have also managed to track and arrest three suspects who got away with loot after an intense shoot-out with police.
Asst Comm Nyathi said Willium Dhumukwa (34), James Zawi (29) and Chishamiso Muganiri (30) are part of a 15-member gang that pounced at a mine in Kadoma and allegedly stole a Toyota Hilux, three cellphones and 17 bags of carbon among other valuables on December 17.
"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," said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said detectives acted on received information and tracked the suspects to Mbare where the suspects were arrested after a shoot-out with Dhumukwa who was shot and wounded in the thigh.
"Further investigations revealed that the recovered 303 rifles were reported stolen in Harare through a robbery on 8 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," Asst Comm Nyathi said.
Source - The Chronicle
